Indonesian Authorities Set New Date for Auction of Seized Iranian Tanker and Oil Cargo
Indonesia‘s Attorney General’s Office and its Asset Recovery Agency have rescheduled an auction to sell a seized Iranian-flagged tanker and its cargo of Light Crude Oil. The new date set is January 30, following a previous attempt in December 2025.
According to the online listing for the auction, the vessel still has approximately 167 thousand metric tons (1.25 million barrels) of Light Crude Oil onboard. The ship is being sold on an “as is where is” basis with a guarantee of $6.98 million required to enter the auction and a filing of papers no later than January 27.
Background on the Seized Vessel
The vessel, Arman 114 (300,579 dwt), has been held by Indonesian authorities in the waters of Batu Ampar, Batam City, Riau Islands Province. While the ship is registered in Iran, its ownership is unclear. The courts in Batam rejected several claims to represent the Panama-registered corporation, which claims to own the vessel. Iran has denied any involvement or ownership of the oil since the ship was seized after a July 2023 incident.
History of the Vessel
The Arman 114 was not the first time the vessel had been in trouble globally. Built in 1997, the vessel was operating as Grace 1 when it was seized by UK commandos in July 2019 off Gibraltar. It was transporting a cargo of Iranian oil that the UK said was bound for Syria in violation of EU and US sanctions. Iran retaliated with the seizure of the Stena Impero tanker.
A Gibraltar court released the vessel in August 2019, saying Iran had committed not to deliver the oil to Syria. The ship changed its name to Adrian Darya 1 under the Iranian flag and, in 2020, again changed its name to Arman 114. The ship has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019.
Captain’s Conviction and Sentence
The captain of the Arman 114 was put on trial, but fled the country days before the verdict. He was sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail and a fine of approximately $300,000 (or an additional six months in jail). The court also ordered the seizure of the tanker and its cargo.
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Original Article: Indonesia Reschedules Auction of Seized Iranian Tanker and Oil Cargo — The Maritime Executive