Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the first confirmed capture of a commercial vessel by Tehran since its June clashes with Israel and the United States, according to multiple governments and maritime agencies.

The Talara, sailing from the United Arab Emirates toward Singapore, broke from its course in the Gulf of Oman Friday after several small craft converged on the vessel, maritime security firms reported.

A US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity said an American military drone tracked the takeover from overhead.

Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. REUTERS

Flight-tracking data showed that a US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone had been circling above the area where the

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