Iranian oil tanker HELM moving south of Red Sea after repairs

The Iranian oil tanker HELM started moving south of the Red Sea after repairs following a breakdown, according to a report by an Al Arabiya correspondent.

Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s state news agency IRNA had reported the breakdown of the tanker in the Red Sea and that the crew were safe and awaiting repairs which were underway.

The Iranian ship did not make a distress call to nearby countries, even though it had spent a full day at sea without movement, an Al Arabiya correspondent reported.

“The ship’s crew are fixing the defect and the vessel is in a stable condition from a safety standpoint. Fortunately, the ship’s crew are in a safe condition,” IRNA quoted Akbar Jabal-Ameli, technical director of the state-run National Iranian Tanker Company, as saying.

The report identified the tanker as HELM. A vessel with that name is among individuals, companies and vessels which are under US sanctions, according to the US Treasury’s website.

Iran has one of the largest tanker fleets in the world, but Tehran is running short of options to replace its aging tankers and keep oil exports flowing because renewed US sanctions are making potential sellers and flag registries wary of doing business with Tehran.

(With Reuters)