An initially diffuse situation consolidates over the course of the day. At 04:30 (CET) on 11 January, UKTMO (United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, Portsmouth) issued the initial report that unknown persons had boarded a ship. Later the news that 4 to 5 masked gunmen in military-looking clothing had seized the vessel about 50 nautical miles east of Sohar, Oman. Later in the day, Iranian state media reported the seizure of an oil tanker by the Iranian navy in the Gulf of Oman. The ship in question is the crude oil tanker "St Nikolas" (flag state Marshall Islands), which was on its way to Aliaga in Turkey after being loaded in Basrah, Iraq.
According to Iranian statements, the seizure of the ship was carried out on the basis of a court order in retaliation for the "oil theft" by the United States. In April 2023, the 274-metre-long, 158,000-tonne ocean liner, then sailing under the name "Suez Rajan", made history. The US had detained the ship and confiscated its cargo. According to media reports, the oil tanker has now been taken to an Iranian harbour where it was to be handed over to the judicial authorities.
The incident took place in a region that is currently under geopolitical stress. At the time of its hijacking, "St. Nikolas" was 2,000 kilometres (as the crow flies) away from Bab-el-Mandeb. The Houthis have been threatening international shipping there with their drone and missile attacks since 19 November 2023. So far, 26 attacks by the militia group on maritime traffic in the Red Sea near Bab-el-Mandeb have been recorded. The international community has responded with various appeals. Most recently on 3 January 2024 in a joint statement by the governments of Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. The USA launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping in the Red Sea. US Navy units are currently patrolling the sea area between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa together with a Royal Navy frigate as 'Prosperity Guardians'. The Huthi are not impressed by this, or by the threat of consequences from the fourteen nations.
Which was to be expected, as they have managed to assert themselves against the international community and Saudi Arabia since 2015. They do not tick according to a value-based order and do not function according to our concepts of liberal behaviour. The Houthis know they have Tehran's protection behind them. In addition to political support, Iran is committed to the Houthis financially, with expertise and with military equipment. Both are united by their Shiite faith and their aversion to the West, particularly the USA, which they perceive as the leading power. For the Houthis in particular, the deep hatred they share for Israel and its supporters now reflects the spirit of the times. Because in supporting the Palestinian cause lies their opportunity to gain international significance for themselves, their cause and Yemen.
In contrast, Iran has so far kept a low profile when it comes to the Gaza conflict - apart from pithy statements from the political and clerical leadership. Tehran has celebrated Hamas' terrorist attack on its long-standing rival Israel, but has denied any involvement in the events of 7 October. It uses its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah - and Houthi.
In this respect, the hijacking of the "St Nicholas" can be seen as a retaliatory measure for Washington's action in spring 2023. This theory is supported by the fact that this ship of all ships was hijacked. Since 2019, there have been a number of attacks on shipping in and around the Persian Gulf - particularly in situations of tension between the USA and Iran. The dissonances include not only Washington's sanctions against Iranian state actors. But also the reactions to the regime's domestic political measures, such as the violent suppression of popular protests, the delivery of drones to Russia or the acceleration of Iran's nuclear programme.
The raising of the St. Nicholas is a remarkable coup, which is probably less about making up for a possible financial loss and more about a gesture that is intended to have an effect both domestically and externally on the Arab neighbours and allies.
The fact is that the action increases the fragility of the overall security situation. As a possible indicator of the current global vulnerability, oil prices rose noticeably on the day of the Iranian coup. And during the night, American and British air forces launched from Cyprus attacked Houthi positions in Yemen. The situation is to be assessed as "dynamic"!
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