Iran chose a very “diplomatic” way to prepare for negotiations by seizing two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, just hours before scheduled U.S.–Iran talks in Oman. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the vessels of smuggling fuel and detained 15 foreign crew members, because nothing says “let’s talk peacefully” like grabbing ships right before a meeting.
According to the IRGC navy, the tankers were intercepted near Farsi Island and were allegedly carrying about one million liters of smuggled fuel. The 15 foreign nationals on board were taken into custody and handed over to Iran’s judicial authorities, as reported by Iranian state media.
The IRGC claimed the ships were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months. Iranian officials said the vessels were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a crucial route for global energy markets. The Jerusalem Post noted that Iranian authorities described the action as a major blow to illegal fuel trafficking, although they did not disclose the nationalities or destinations of the ships.
At the same time, Iranian rhetoric toward the United States has turned more aggressive. Former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief Ezzatollah Zarghami issued a warning about the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum products pass.
“I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.,” Zarghami said Thursday. He added that Iran would prove the strait “has historically belonged to Iran,” claiming the only thing Americans can do is move their ships around—apparently a terrifying strategy in his imagination.
Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the strait a potential “killing field” for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate under mounting regional pressure.
Meanwhile, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman on Friday. The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine, stepping into discussions under tense circumstances.
Despite Iran’s loud threats and theatrical seizures, the United States is heading into talks from a position of strength, showing once again that calm leadership and firm diplomacy remain the best tools to protect American interests and keep global stability moving in the right direction.
