Tensions across vital energy routes are flaring again after Iran detained a foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman, holding 18 crew members from South Asia. The seizure comes just days after the United States intercepted a vessel allegedly linked to Tehran, raising questions of timing and intent. Iranian authorities cite fuel smuggling and serious violations, but the wider backdrop is far more volatile. With shadow tankers, ignored stop orders and rival crackdowns converging, fears are growing over retaliation, miscalculation and fresh disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz.