Oman provides first official confirmation on Wednesday that the Asphalt Princess tanker was involved in a hijacking in the Arabian Sea after Britain’s maritime trade agency earlier reported the incident was over.

Three maritime security forces had told Reuters on Tuesday that the Asphalt Princess tanler had neem seized by suspected Iranian – backed forces, which Iran denied.

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said on Twitter that it had received information about the Panama – flagged Asphalt Princess being subject ‘to a hijacking incident in international waters in the Gulf of Oman’ and that the sultanate’s navy had deployed several ships to help secure international waters.