An Iranian oil tanker has broken down in the Red Sea but the crew are safe and repairs are underway, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday. "The ship's crew are fixing the defect and the vessel is in a stable condition from a safety standpoint. Fortunately, the ship's crew are in a safe condition," IRNA quoted Akbar Jabal-Ameli, technical director of the state-run National Iranian Tanker Company, as saying. The report identified the tanker as HELM. A vessel with that name is among individuals, companies and vessels which are under US sanctions, according to the US Treasury's website. Iran has one of the largest tanker fleets in the world, but Tehran is running short of options to replace its aging tankers and keep oil exports flowing because renewed US sanctions are making potential sellers and flag registries wary of doing business with Tehran. Meanwhile in another development, Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency said on Wednesday the tanker Adrian Darya 1, which was released after being detained in Gibraltar, is currently leased to the country's elite Revolutionary Guards. The United States has issued a warrant to seize the tanker on the grounds that it had links to the Revolutionary Guards C (IRGC), which it designates as a terrorist organization. "It is worth noting that the Grace 1 vessel, renamed Adrian Darya after the seizure, is a Korean-made oil tanker owned by Russia which is currently leased to the Revolutionary Guards," ILNA said, without citing a source. The comment came in an ILNA interview with the head of the Revolutionary Guards' navy, Alireza Tangsiri. "The Adrian Darya vessel needs no escort," Tangsiri told ILNA, in an apparent show of defiance. — Agencies
