NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.\u2013Iran talks Friday in Oman.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran\u2019s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.<\/p>\n US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Iran seized two oil tankers Thursday while former Iranian Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami threatened to make the Strait of Hormuz a “massacre and hell” for U.S. forces.<\/span> (Giuseppe Cacace\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.<\/p>\n Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.<\/p>\n According to The Jerusalem Post<\/a>, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels\u2019 nationalities or destinations.<\/p>\n US MILITARY WARNS IRAN IT WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ‘UNSAFE’ ACTIONS AHEAD OF LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday allegedly carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel.<\/span> (Giuseppe Cacace\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric<\/a> toward the U.S. has grown hostile.<\/p>\n Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex\u2013state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, through which around one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil and petroleum product consumption passes.<\/p>\n “I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.,” Zarghami said Thursday.<\/p>\n “Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another.”<\/p>\n IRANIAN MEDIA CLAIMS DRONE SHOT DOWN BY US WAS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE IN A ‘ROUTINE AND LAWFUL MISSION’<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday.<\/span> (Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential “killing field<\/a>” for American forces and signaling Iran\u2019s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure.<\/p>\n![\"Strait](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/iran-tanker-strait-hormuz.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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