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Iran Detains 11 Foreign Nationals Suspected of Fuel Smuggling
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Conflict & Security

Iran Detains 11 Foreign Nationals Suspected of Fuel Smuggling

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Iranian authorities detained 11 foreign nationals suspected of fuel smuggling in the country’s south, state television reported.
  • The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said it found 382,000 liters of diesel after searching a vessel allegedly used to tow contraband through Persian Gulf waters.
  • The arrests came as Iran faces fuel-import difficulties, long lines at Tehran gas stations and a reported U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

Iranian border guards have detained 11 foreign nationals suspected of smuggling fuel, state television reported. The broadcast did not identify their nationalities.

The arrests took place in southern Iran after intelligence reports indicated that smugglers were trying to tow contraband through Persian Gulf waters. The Revolutionary Guard said a search of a vessel uncovered 382,000 liters of diesel fuel.

Border protection officers detained 11 foreign suspects.

— Iranian state televisionThe broadcaster reported the arrests but did not identify the detainees’ nationalities.

Iranian authorities have spent years trying to curb fuel smuggling, particularly along the Persian Gulf coast in the south. The trade has contributed to local fuel shortages, according to the report.

The crackdown comes as Iran struggles to import enough fuel to meet demand. Washington recently imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, according to the report, in retaliation for Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz after war began in the Middle East in February. Long queues have formed at gas stations in Tehran, and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged citizens on Tuesday to use less gasoline.

The guards discovered 382,000 liters of diesel fuel.

— Iranian state televisionThe statement described the result of a vessel search in an alleged smuggling operation.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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