Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has detained a vessel flying the flag of Eswatini in the Strait of Hormuz on allegations of fuel smuggling. According to Iranian state television, the ship was carrying about 350,000 liters of contraband fuel and has been escorted to the port of Bushehr. The IRGC commander stated that all 13 crew members are citizens of neighboring countries and India. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global chokepoint for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and Iran frequently conducts operations against vessels accused of illegal fuel transport. Earlier this month, Iran had seized and later released a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, while last year it detained a container ship allegedly linked to Israel following an attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria. Iranian authorities maintain that the latest seizure is a domestic enforcement action, not a retaliatory measure against any foreign state.