Iran has released the Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker Talara and all 21 crew are safe, the vessel’s operator Columbia Shipmanagement said on Wednesday, days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed they had seized the ship off the country’s southern coast.

"We have informed their families, and the vessel is now free to resume normal operations," Reuters quoted the manager as saying.

The Guards said on Saturday that rapid-reaction units intercepted the tanker near the Makran coast under a judicial order to confiscate its cargo. State media quoted sources saying the vessel carried about 30,000 tons of petrochemical products owned by Iran that were being transferred illegally to Singapore.

Fars news agency said the ship was directed to an Iranian anchorage for inspection and was found to be in breach of rules on transporting unauthorized goods. The Guards said the operation was carried out under legal authority “to protect national interests.”

Vessel diverted from UAE waters

The Talara, operated by Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement and owned by Pasha Finance, had been sailing from Sharjah to Singapore with a load of high-sulphur gasoil when contact was lost on Nov. 15. Maritime security firm Ambrey said the tanker was about 22 nautical miles east of the UAE port of Khor Fakkan when small boats approached and the vessel changed course toward Iranian waters.

Iran has stepped up maritime enforcement in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz in recent months, citing efforts to curb fuel smuggling. The seizure came amid continuing legal cases involving other foreign vessels detained by Iranian forces in past incidents.

The operator said on Tuesday the ship and crew were in good condition and that the Talara would soon resume normal operations.