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Iranian-backed forces allegedly took control of an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain's maritime trade agency reported a "potential hijack" in the area.
Two of the maritime sources identified the seized vessel as the Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess in an area in the Arabian Sea leading to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about a fifth of the world's seaborne oil exports.
Tuesday's second incident involved six oil tankers, where they announced around the same time via their Automatic Identification System trackers that they were “not under command,” according to MarineTraffic.com.