Iran Dramatically Escalates Oil Tanker Feud With U.S.

Iran reportedly seized on Thursday an oil tanker at the center of a dispute with the United States, as tensions continue to soar over Iranian proxy attacks on American and other vessels in the Middle East.

Four or five armed men “wearing military style black uniforms with black masks” jumped aboard the vessel, the St. Nicholas, and carried out the capture just east of Sohar, Oman, according to an alert issued by the U.K. Marine Trade Operations Thursday. “Unknown voices” were heard over the phone along with the captain’s, the report stated.

The hijackers ordered the vessel to reroute towards Iranian territorial waters, at which point communications were lost with the tanker, according to the alert.

Read more at The Daily Beast.