The U.S. Department of War announced on Tuesday, April 21 that U.S. forces intercepted and boarded a sanctioned oil tanker overnight in the Indo-Pacific region. The vessel is suspected of being involved in an Iranian crude oil smuggling network.
In a statement posted on the X platform, the Department of War said the stateless tanker Tifani was intercepted within the responsibility area of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), and the operation took place without any conflict or incident.
Data from the ship-tracking website MarineTraffic shows the tanker has a capacity of about 2 million barrels of crude oil. At the time of the incident, it was nearly fully loaded. Its last recorded position was near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, with Singapore listed as its destination.
A U.S. defense official told The Associated Press that the vessel was seized in the Bay of Bengal while carrying Iranian crude oil. The United States is expected to decide within the next few days how to proceed with the ship, including whether to tow it to the U.S. or transfer it to another country.READ MORE:
The U.S. Central Command stated that it will continue maritime enforcement operations worldwide, focusing on disrupting illegal transport networks supporting Iran, adding that “no matter where these vessels operate, they will be intercepted.”
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The operation is seen as part of a recent expansion of U.S. maritime pressure on Iran. As early as April 16, the U.S. announced an expanded scope of interceptions, targeting not only ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, but also sanctioned vessels and those suspected of carrying prohibited goods. Senior U.S. military officials said they would actively pursue Iran’s “shadow fleet,” and even if these ships are not in Middle Eastern waters, they would be intercepted globally.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media accusing Iran of repeatedly violating ceasefire agreements, though he did not provide specific details.
Iran has not yet responded to the boarding operation. However, Iran has previously stated that a U.S. blockade of its ports would constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement, and that Tehran would not participate in negotiations while such measures continue.
