Iran says it seized a “foreign tanker” and its 12 crew on Sunday for smuggling fuel in the Gulf.

State television quoted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as saying the vessel had been smuggling one million litres (220,000 gallons) of fuel.

State media later published footage of Iranian speedboats circling around the Panamanian-flagged Riah tanker.

The tanker stopped transmitting its position as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

Iran earlier said it had come to the aid of a broken-down tanker, without naming the Riah.