Iran seizes Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas in the Gulf of Oman
Incident Report
Fact Sheet
| Date | 11 Jan 2024 |
| Tracker | Strait of Hormuz Tensions |
| Type | Interception |
| Location |
Gulf of Oman
25.12, 56.33 (approximate) |
What Happened
On January 11, 2024, Iran's navy seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas, carrying Iraqi crude bound for Turkey, while it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman, and diverted it toward Iranian waters off Qeshm Island. Iranian officials cited a judicial order; the seizure was widely viewed as retaliation for the United States' 2023 confiscation of the same vessel, then sailing as Suez Rajan, and its Iranian-origin oil cargo over sanctions violations. The US State Department condemned the seizure and demanded the ship's release, calling it part of a pattern of Iranian actions disrupting international commerce.
Sources
Measured Footprint
| Series | That day | Prior 30-day avg | Week after vs before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transits | 74 +15% | 64.6 | +20% (469 → 564) |
| Tankers | 52 +33% | 39.0 | +23% (292 → 359) |
| Cargo ships | 22 -14% | 25.6 | +16% (177 → 205) |
Daily figures from IMF PortWatch around January 11, 2024; the day's value is compared with the trailing 30-day average. Week comparisons are shown only when the series covers both full weeks.
Gulf of Oman
Marker placed at sea area precision.
Activity Around the Incident
Commercial ship transits of the Strait of Hormuz, two weeks either side
Daily counts from IMF PortWatch; the highlighted bar is the incident day, January 11, 2024.
Incidents Around the Same Period
Nearest logged incidents
| Date | Type | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2022 | Interception | Iran seizes two Greek-flagged tankers, Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, in the Persian Gulf |
| 27 Apr 2023 | Interception | Iran seizes two tankers, Advantage Sweet and Niovi, within a week in the Strait of Hormuz area |
| 13 Apr 2024 | Interception | Iranian commandos rappel from helicopter to seize container ship MSC Aries near Strait of Hormuz |
| 14 Nov 2025 | Interception | Iran's IRGC seizes Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Talara off Khor Fakkan |