The Suezmax St Nikolas, a 158,500 dwt tanker owned by Greece-based Empire Navigation, was hijacked near Oman on January 11, 2024. Iran has claimed responsibility for the incident, which involved the US-controlled and Greek-operated tanker carrying 145,000 tonnes of oil from Iraq to Turkey. The crisis has escalated from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to the Hormuz Strait, according to a maritime security expert. The company lost contact with the vessel, which was manned by 19 crew members, and unconfirmed reports suggest that security cameras were covered after six armed men boarded the ship.
The vessel, previously involved in a dispute with the US Justice Department over the seizure of Iranian crude oil, was heading for Aliaga port in Turkey but is now steaming north towards the Iranian coast. Empire Navigation had used the ship to smuggle Iranian crude in 2022, for which the company pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine. The hijacking occurred just south of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of globally traded oil passes.
The UKMTO reported that the company’s security officer heard unknown voices over the phone along with the master’s voice, but further contact was not possible. The incident has raised concerns about maritime security and the control of the seas, with the focus shifting to Iran’s involvement in the hijacking.
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