Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 12, 2026
1 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Iran has reportedly released the Greek tanker St. Nikolas, seized in 2024 in response to U.S. sanctions. The vessel was carrying Iraqi crude to Turkey.
Jan 12 (Reuters) - Iran appears to have released the St. Nikolas, a Greek-owned Suezmax tanker it seized in January 2024, vessel monitoring service Tanker Trackers said on Monday.
Iran seized the tanker, which was carrying Iraqi crude destined for Turkey, in retaliation for the 2023 U.S. confiscation of the same vessel and its oil, Iranian state media reported at the time.
The U.S. seizure of St. Nikolas was part of a sanctions enforcement operation. At the time, the ship was sailing under a different name, Suez Rajan. Iran had warned the U.S. that its move would "not go unanswered".
Reuters could not immediately contact the ship owner. Its manager did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi, Lisa Baertlein, Arathy Somasekhar and Marianna Parraga; Editing by Nia Williams and Lisa Shumaker)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids, such as oil, chemicals, or liquefied natural gas. These vessels are crucial in the shipping industry for moving large quantities of liquid cargo across oceans.
A monitoring service in finance refers to a company or tool that tracks and analyzes specific data, such as shipping routes or financial transactions, to provide insights and alerts to stakeholders.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
