The oil tanker St Nikolas (formerly Suez Rajan) has been involved in two geopolitically prominent seizures, by the United States and Iran.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan, carrying Iranian-grade crude oil,[1] was seized in April 2023 by the US Department of Justice.

[4] As the original payment to Iran for the Iranian oil was done using US dollar transaction wire transfers, without a license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury, the US could claim jurisdiction under US law.

[12] Alireza Tangsiri, the Guards' navy commander, emphasised Tehran would hold Washington responsible for allowing the unloading of the tanker's content.

[12] On 29 April 2023 the Iran Navy seized a Marshall Islands flagged Suezmax tanker, the Advantage Sweet, laden with oil from Kuwait and bound for Houston, off Muscat.

[15][16] On 11 January 2024, four to five members of the Iranian Navy boarded and took control of the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-operated civilian oil tanker Suez Rajan (since renamed St Nikolas).