NEW YORK, May 20. /TASS/. US Marines boarded the Celestial Sea oil tanker amid suspicions that it might attempt to break through the US naval blockade of Iran, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported.
"Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port. American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course," the command said in a post on its X page.
According to the statement, over the course of the US naval blockade of Iran, which has lasted more than a month, US servicemen have redirected a total of 91 commercial vessels.
The US military began the naval blockade on April 13. CENTCOM stated that it intends to block the movement of all vessels heading to or leaving Iranian ports. According to Iranian permanent representative to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani, by imposing a naval blockade on the country - accompanied by the seizure of commercial vessels and the detention of their crews - the US is effectively acting like pirates and terrorists.
