U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight Tuesday, seizing the vessel as part of ongoing efforts to cut off Iran’s illicit crude oil exports amid a ceasefire that expires Wednesday.
The ship, M/T Tifani, was stateless and previously sanctioned for its role in smuggling Iranian crude. It had departed the Sri Lankan port of Galle on Saturday and was tracked heading toward Singapore when U.S. forces intercepted it in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, according to the Department of Defense.
The Pentagon, now operating as the Department of War under the Trump administration, released video of the boarding and announced the operation on X shortly after it concluded.
“Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility,” the Department of War said. “As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran, anywhere they operate.”
The statement left no ambiguity on the administration’s intent: “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
Officials did not say whether any cargo was seized or what action would be taken with the ship or crew.
The intercept comes with the ceasefire between the United States and Iran set to expire Wednesday and peace talks in limbo. Iranian officials have so far refused to commit to negotiations in Pakistan, despite a U.S. delegation traveling there to meet. President Trump said Tuesday Tehran has “no choice” but to come to the table, and warned of consequences if talks collapse.
The tanker action is the latest step in what the Pentagon has framed as a sustained global maritime campaign to strangle Iran’s oil revenue. Sanctioned tankers carrying Iranian crude have been intercepted at multiple points across Asia and the Middle East as the administration looks to enforce economic pressure on Tehran even while ceasefire negotiations continue.
