Abbas Mousavi, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry says an oil tanker that had disappeared from radars “has been directed toward Iranian waters” and is being repaired at an Iranian harbor.

Reports on Tuesday July 16 said that the oil tanker was probably detained by Iran’s revolutionary guards IRGC and was being held at an IRGC base in Iran’s Qeshm Island.

Mousavi, however, says the crew on board the oil tanker had called for help following a technical problem, so the tanker was towed to Iranian waters by Iranian forces.

He said what Iranian forces did was consistent with international regulations.

The ship had disappeared from radars while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Media reports had initially identified the ship as a UAE oil tanker. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that this small oil tanker was registered in Panama, adding that it does not belong to the United Arab Emirates and its crew are not UAE citizens.