An oil tanker sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands through the Strait of Hormuz was diverted into Iranian territorial waters on Friday, amid accusations that it was intercepted by Iran.

What happened: The vessel, identified as the Talara, had departed the Emirati port of Ajman bound for Singapore when it changed course toward Iranian waters, according to multiple reports.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, said in a statement Friday, "We are aware of the incident involving the Marshall Islands-flagged M/V Talara. We are actively monitoring the situation. Commercial vessels are entitled to largely unimpeded rights of navigation and commerce on the high seas."

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a maritime security agency run by the British navy, said in a statement earlier on Friday that it received reports of an incident involving a vessel some 20 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the UAE that was veered off its route into Iranian territorial waters. The British firm said, “The incident is believed to be state activity,” without elaborating.