Srilanka, Nov. 23 -- On November 14, 2025, the geopolitical fault lines of the Middle East trembled once again as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted and seized the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara in the Strait of Hormuz.

The vessel, operated by Cyprus-based Columbia Ship Management and owned by Pasha Finance, a company with alleged ties to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's family, was en route from Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Singapore, laden with approximately 30,000 tonnes of high-sulfur gas oil and petrochemical products.

The Iranian authorities justified the action as enforcement of a judicial order, claiming the tanker violated regulations by transporting "unauthorised cargo" to...