US seizes Iranian oil tankers for the first time: WSJ

The United States has seized four tankers reportedly filled with Iranian fuel in recent days, US officials have revealed, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Four vessels “were seized at sea in recent days and are now en route to Houston,” a WSJ article on Thursday said.

For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The WSJ said that senior US administration officials were to meet the tankers during an event scheduled to mark the docking.

Al Arabiya English could not reach the State Department, National Security Council and Pentagon for comment on the article.

One official told the WSJ that no military force was used when the tankers were seized.

Earlier this year, Iran defied US threats and sent tankers of fuel to Venezuela, which has a shortage of fuel due to crushing US economic sanctions.
Washington threatened to take action against those tankers but did not proceed with any steps.

Read more:

Venezuelans clamor for gasoline as Washington weighs response to Iran fuel shipment

First Iranian fuel tanker all set to arrive: Venezuelan media