News

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has confiscated two tankers in the Persian Gulf waters during an operation on March 31, 2025, the 'Star 1' and 'Vintage', which were carrying over three million liters of smuggled diesel fuel. All 25 crew members of the two tankers were also arrested. The tankers were transferred to Bushehr port, where the diesel will be offloaded under court orders. Iran, has long faced challenges with fuel smuggling, particularly in its southern maritime borders, as the significant price difference of fuel between Iran and the neighbouring countries has made fuel smuggling a lucrative illegal trade. The price of diesel fuel in Iran is only 3,000 rials ($0.003) per liter for limited monthly quotas while the fuel is available at 6,000 rials per liter for unlimited usage by truck drivers and farmers using heavy machinery. The two tankers were singled out via intelligence monitoring at the Bushehr port.

After a four-week technical stop in Brest, the 'Abeille Bourbon' will have a new name. It is expected to be called 'VB Abeille BretagneÄ. On March 28 at noon, the tug left the Quay Malbert in Brest to enter dock No. 1. Under the care of Piriou Naval Services Brest, the vessel will undergo a four-week technical maintenance. The work program includes standard inspections of the propulsion engine couplings, inspections of two generator sets, and maintenance work on the two cranes. The tug will also undergo, for the first time since its commissioning, a complete repainting of the superstructures. Routine maintenance and inspections will be carried out as part of the Bureau Veritas classification. During its technical layup, the 'Abeille Bourbon' will be replaced by the 'Abeille Horizon', which has just undergone a maintenance period.

On March 31, 2025, the 'GNV SEALAND', en route from Palma to Valencia, requested the medical evacuation of a passenger 45 nautical miles west of Mallorca. The CCS Palma of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 222, which hoisted the patient and transferred him to the helipad of the Son Espases Hospital.

Early on March 29, the 'Jairan', the second of two sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) ships, carrying sodium perchlorate from China, was spotted at Bandar Abbas Anchorage in pos. 56.3515 N 26.9960 E, midway between the islands of Qeshm and Hormoz. The vessel appeared to still have containers on deck, and was likely to be awaiting a berth at which to unload within the Bandar Abbas commercial port. The ship is unlikely to move from the Bandar Abbas anchorage until after the Eid festival, which has just started and marks the end of the month of Ramadan in Iran. The Iranian authorities appeared to have taken no particular security measures to safeguard the 'Jairan', which had sailed from Shanghai without port calls and with its AIS identification system switched on, nor did the vessel appear to have an escort whilst awaiting a berth. Once ashore, the sodium perchlorate is likely to be shipped by rail to Tehran, and thence to a processing facility to be converted into ammonium perchlorate. The recent imported cargoes on both the 'Jairan' and the container m/v 'Golbon' (IMO: 9283033) would be sufficient to fuel approximately 250 medium range Khybar-Shikan and Fattah missiles, or shorter range Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles, or their Houthi equivalents.

On March 31, 2025, the 'COSTA FASCINOSA', en route from St. Johns to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, requested the medical evacuation of a 79-year-old Swiss passenger 75 nautical miles southwest of El Hierro. The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 222, 201, which hoisted the patient and transferred him tothe Tenerife South Airport for further transfer to the hospital.