Iran has opened another front at sea.

On Friday, Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and pulled it into their territorial waters, setting off alarms across military and shipping circles already stretched by months of regional conflict.

A US defence official confirmed the seizure of the Talara, saying Iranian forces “turned the ship into Iranian territorial waters.”

The Talara was moving from Ajman to Singapore when Iranian boats closed in. Data analysed by the Associated Press showed a US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone circling overhead “for hours,” watching the seizure unfold in real time.

Private security firm Ambrey said the assault involved “three small boats approaching the Talara.” UKMTO called it possible “state activity,” confirming the vessel was forced off its route and into Iranian waters.

The tanker’s manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, said the crew stopped responding without warning.

“Contact was lost at around 0822 local time (0422 UTC) on Friday ... approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates,” it said, adding it was working with “relevant parties – including maritime security agencies and the vessel's owner – to restore contact.”

The ship is owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance. No one has heard from the crew since the interception.

Maritime security sources and British group Vanguard said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards intercepted the tanker and redirected it toward the Iranian coast. Both the UAE and Iranian foreign ministries have not replied to queries.

Iran’s IRGC has repeatedly grabbed commercial ships over alleged violations or disputes. In 2022, two Greek tankers were taken and held for months. In 2019, tankers were hit with limpet mines.

In 2021, an Israeli-linked tanker was struck by a drone, killing two crew members.

Each confrontation has deepened a cycle that began after former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil. Iran has long warned it could restrict this flow. The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet has spent years trying to prevent exactly what happened on Friday.

This time, the seizure comes on the heels of a regional war, Houthi attacks on shipping, rising Israel-Iran hostility.