U.S. Seizes Tanker Suspected of Smuggling Iranian Oil

U.S. military forces boarded and seized an oil tanker accused of smuggling Iranian crude oil in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, marking the latest escalation in enforcement actions against vessels linked to Tehran.

The Department of Defense announced that personnel conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction on the MT Tifani, a vessel previously sanctioned for violating international restrictions. The operation occurred without incident or resistance from the crew, according to officials familiar with the details. Ship-tracking data placed the tanker between Sri Lanka and Indonesia at the time, within the area of responsibility of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Although the vessel flies a Botswana flag, the Pentagon described it as stateless due to suspected irregularities in its registration.

The boarding reflects ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt global maritime networks providing material support to Iran, including shipments of oil, weapons, metals, and electronics. In a statement posted on social media, the Pentagon emphasized its commitment to these interdictions worldwide. "As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit...