US Appears Set to Seize $600M in Iranian Crude Oil From Three Tankers
Speculation is mounting after trackers revealed that three of the tankers stopped by U.S. forces as part of the economic blockade against Iran have been spotted on the move toward the United States. The U.S. has a history of pursuing forfeiture complaints, and the Trump administration has hinted at it as a step in the ongoing efforts to punish Iran.
The discussions began when TankerTrackers.com posted a brief message on Wednesday saying, “Nearly six million barrels (valued at nearly $600M) of seized Iranian crude oil are quietly crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards the United States of America.” It did not provide further details.
The ships, however, have now been identified using data from Kpler and others. Two of the VLCCs are the Tifani (IMO 9273337), a 300,000 dwt tanker falsely claiming registry in Botswana, stopped in April in the Indian Ocean, and the Majestic X (IMO 9198317), a 281,500 dwt tanker falsely claiming registry in Guyana, which was stopped two days after the first tanker, also in the Indian Ocean. Both of these vessels were detected sailing north along the coast of Brazil. Both were laden with Iranian crude and made it out of the Persian Gulf, likely heading for China, before the blockade was first imposed in April 2026.
The Pentagon asserted the vessels were stopped under the right of visit, inspecting sanctioned stateless vessels. The Department of Homeland Security later inspected the vessel, and reports said the US would seek seizure orders.
The third tanker drew some more speculation before it was identified as Davina (300,976 dwt), although most databases list the vessel as Lenore. It was claiming a false registry in Curacao and, before that, had also falsely claimed it was sailing under the flag of Palau. It was stopped in June off Sri Lanka. Kpler’s data said the vessel had sailed past Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, recently entering the Atlantic.
Combined, the three ships would be laden with approximately six million barrels of Iranian crude. That would be a value of roughly $600 million based on current market prices. Only the Majestic X, briefly in late July, showed a destination of the United States, according to Kpler’s data. Observers, however, are confident the ships are headed toward the United States, likely Texas, where the U.S. will enforce its forfeiture.
The Trump administration has spoken about the possibility of seizures. Further, at the end of August, reports said it had moved to reestablish the so-called prize court, a special-purpose tribunal that is used to determine the legality of the seizure and forfeiture of an enemy merchant vessel.
In the past, the process has been drawn out as it worked through the courts. After seizing a tanker off Venezuela last year, government lawyers complained to the court about the cost of maintaining the tanker Skipper, saying it was reducing the value of the cargo.
The U.S. has achieved the seizures in the past, such as in the case of the Bella 1, aka Marinera (IMO 9230880), which it chased from Venezuela across the Atlantic. That vessel was empty, but the Trump administration won a court order to seize and sell the ship, with it ultimately going to a cash buyer for recycling.
The United States seized and sold oil products in 2020 from tankers that it stopped before they could reach Venezuela. In that case, it only went after the cargo and let a Greek owner retain the vessels. The same thing happened in 2023, when the U.S. seized the cargo aboard the Suez Rajan, which was interdicted in the Far East. The vessel was ultimately brought to the United States and offloaded before it was permitted to sail away under the new identity of St Nikolas.
In that case, Iran did not stand by when the oil was seized. It seized the St Nikolas in January 2024 when the vessel was in the Persian Gulf. It admitted it was retaliation, and it took the crude oil cargo from the vessel, saying it was sold as compensation.
Iran is calling the U.S. seizure of its tankers and the ongoing blockade piracy. It has made dropping the blockade one of the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command, however, says the blockade is being enforced and posted on social media that, as of September 25, it has redirected 122 commercial vessels to ensure strict compliance.
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Observers point out that the United States has stopped other tankers linked to Iran beyond the three. For example, the VLCC Skywave (IMO 9328716) is currently unaccounted for in the reports. The 302,481 dwt tanker was stopped in May between Malaysia and Sri Lanka, falsely claiming to be registered in Botswana.
Bloomberg points out that the VLCCs Majestic X and Tifani are likely just a few weeks away from the United States, setting the stage for a potential showdown. The Lenore will take longer to reach her destination.
