Iranian state television aired footage on Friday of its helicopter-borne commandos swooping in and seizing control of a US-bound oil tanker that was sailing through international waters in the Gulf of Oman.
A video of the assault shows masked Iranian navy commandos rappelling from a hovering chopper onto the deck of the Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet.
One was photographed with his fist in the air after they took over the tanker, which was on its way from Kuwait to Houston.