DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Iran's coast guard has seized aforeign tugboat suspected of smuggling fuel in the Gulf anddetained its 12 Filipino crew members, state television reportedon Saturday.
It said the tugboat was carrying nearly 284,000 litres ofdiesel. The report did not say what national flag the vessel wasflying.
Iran, which has some of the world's cheapest fuel due toheavy state subsidies, has been fighting rampant fuel smugglingoverland to neighbouring countries and by sea to Gulf Arabstates. It has frequently seized boats it says are being usedfor smuggling fuel in the Gulf.
The incidents come at a time of tensions between Iran andthe West in the Gulf that have been rising since the UnitedStates exited world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran lastyear and reimposed sanctions.
While Iranian media reports say an estimated 10 millionlitres of fuel are smuggled per day, Tehran has been promotinglegal gasoline exports through its energy bourse.
Gasoline sales hit a record high of $72 million last week onthe Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX) for exports to neighbouringcountries, according to state TV.
The stand-off between Iran and the United States triggeredby Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May lastyear has stirred fears of a Gulf war with global repercussions.
In July, Iran seized a British oil tanker near the Strait ofHormuz for alleged marine violations, two weeks after Britishforces detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar accused oftaking oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.
The Iranian tanker was later released. Iran this week freedseven of the 23 crew members of the British-flagged tanker.
(Reporting by Dubai newsroom and Dahlia NehmeEditing by Mark Heinrich)