During the years preceding the seizure, Iran was linked to a number of maritime attacks in the vicinity of the
Strait of Hormuz, and the IRGC has seized a number of commercial vessels, often claiming that they were involved in smuggling or other maritime violations such as technical infractions or legal disputes. On 13 June 2019, the Japanese tanker
Kokuka Courageous and the Norwegian-owned
Front Altair were
attacked off the
Gulf of Oman, when
limpet mines attached to the hulls of the ships exploded.
US Navy investigators stated that the limpet mines used closely match mines publicly displayed by Iran's IRGC, and that in an effort to remove incriminating evidence, IRGC forces returned after the attack to remove an unexploded mine from the
Kokuka Courageouss hull, but left behind debris, fingerprints, and a distinctive mounting magnet. According to Iran's UN mission, the ship left Iranian waters only after transferring its oil to Iran, meaning
Tehran effectively confiscated the cargo while letting the vessel go. the first two, launched on the evening of 29 July missed, but a third, launched early on 30 July and packed with military-grade
RDX explosives, hit the ship's
pilot house, blew a hole in it, and killed the
Romanian captain and a
British security guard. In at least one case, an Iranian helicopter landed on the tanker in international waters off Iran's coast, armed men boarded, and then forced the vessel into Iranian waters; both ships had been carrying
Iraqi crude oil and had recently operated near
Qatar. The drone hit the tanker about off Oman while it was carrying gas oil, causing minor damage to the hull but no injuries, no pollution, and no loss of cargo, with all crew reported safe. Tehran claims the vessel was taken for "violating maritime laws" and not responding to Iranian authorities’ calls, while simultaneously stressing that the ship was linked to Israel, and seizing it just days after vowing retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus. The seizure was condemned as piracy and a breach of international law. ==
Talara ==