Iran seizes oil tankers, threatens 'massacre' in Strait of Hormuz hours before US talks

Iran seized 2 overseas lipid tankers successful the Persian Gulf connected Thursday, accusing them of substance smuggling and detaining 15 overseas unit members, up of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks Friday successful Oman.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the 2 ships adjacent Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying astir 1 cardinal liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported.

The crews — made up of 15 overseas nationals — were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian authorities media.

US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN

Iran seized 2 lipid tankers Thursday portion erstwhile Iranian curate Ezzatollah Zarghami threatened to marque the Strait of Hormuz a "massacre and hell" for U.S. forces. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)

The IRGC alleged the vessels were portion of an organized fuel-smuggling web that had been operating successful the portion for respective months.

Iranian officials said the ships were identified done quality monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations successful the Persian Gulf, a captious artery for planetary vigor markets.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the cognition arsenic a important stroke to amerciable substance trafficking, though they did not instantly disclose the vessels’ nationalities oregon destinations.

US MILITARY WARNS IRAN IT WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY 'UNSAFE' ACTIONS AHEAD OF LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iran seized 2 overseas lipid tankers successful the Persian Gulf connected Thursday, allegedly carrying 1 cardinal liters of smuggled fuel. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)

The seizures travel arsenic Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile.

Former Iranian curate and ex–state broadcaster main Ezzatollah Zarghami issued a warning, threatening unit successful the Strait of Hormuz, done which astir one-fifth of the world’s lipid and petroleum merchandise depletion passes.

"I americium definite that the Strait of Hormuz volition beryllium the spot of massacre and hellhole for the U.S.," Zarghami said Thursday.

"Iran volition amusement that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The lone happening the Americans tin deliberation of is playing with their vessels and moving them from 1 spot to another," helium added.

IRANIAN MEDIA CLAIMS DRONE SHOT DOWN BY US WAS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE IN A 'ROUTINE AND LAWFUL MISSION'

Steve Witkoff, U.S. peculiar envoy to the Middle East and Jared Kushner are scheduled to conscionable Iranian officials successful Oman connected Friday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Zarghami aboriginal repeated the threat, calling the Strait a imaginable "killing field" for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting determination pressure.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to conscionable Iranian officials successful Oman connected Friday.

The brace are traveling from Abu Dhabi aft 2 days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine.

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White House property caput Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were inactive on, stating that "diplomacy is ever [Trump’s] archetypal option," she told reporters.