https://finance.yahoo.com/news...-iran-082450206.html

A suspected hijacking of a vessel near Iran has ended, after stoking tensions already inflamed by a deadly drone attack on an Israeli-managed tanker in the same area.

The Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess was briefly boarded by armed men on Tuesday halfway between Iran and the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman, according to a Gulf government official. The men then left the vessel around midnight local time, the official said. Bloomberg was unable to contact the ship’s Dubai-based owner or operator to confirm the information.

https://www.msn.com/en-za/news...f-of-oman/ar-AAMW01Q

The British navy said that a group of men who boarded and apparently captured a Panama-flagged vessel yesterday, have now left the ship. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy described the incident which took place in the Gulf of Oman, as a "potential hijacking."

"Boarders have left the vessel," the United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations group said on Wednesday. "Vessel is safe. Incident complete."

The circumstances surrounding Tuesday's seizure of the tanker called Asphalt Princess are murky. The incident has raised concerns of an escalation between the West and Iran.

he group of men boarded the ship in the Arabian Sea, in an area which leads to the Strait of Hormuz. This is a channel where around a fifth of the world's sea-borne oil gets exported.

London-based media company Argus has reported hearing a recording between the ship and the United Arab Emirates coastguard. The publication said that in that recording, a crew member identified the vessel as the Asphalt Princess and said it had been boarded by five to six Iranians. The crew member apparently did not understand the men and said they should speak to the UAE coastguard.

Oman's Maritime Security Centre confirmed the incident and told the Reuters news agency that suspected Iranian-backed forces were involved. Iran has denied any role in the incident.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Which begs the question, ...

No, it does not.

Starting to sound like simple piracy. Owners paid them off and they left.