Iran on Thursday seized a Texas-bound oil tanker off Oman.
The U.S. Navy demanded the release of the tanker, which was headed for Houston when it was taken in the Gulf of Oman.
“The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker,” the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said in a statement.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” it added.
Iran said the ship crashed into an Iranian vessel, leaving two crew missing.
The Fifth Fleet at first blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. It then clarified to say the Iranian navy seized the tanker.
“Following the collision of an unknown ship with an Iranian vessel in the waters of the Persian Gulf two of the vessel’s crew went missing and several others were injured,” the Iranian Navy said in a statement.
“The navy of the army, by court order, seized the violator ship, that was fleeing with the flag of the Marshall Islands, and directed it to the coastal waters of the Islamic republic of Iran,” it added.