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US Boards Sanctioned Tanker in the Indian Ocean Linked to Iran

US boarding tanker
US forces boarding the tanker in the Indian Ocean (Pentagon)

Published Apr 21, 2026 10:35 AM by The Maritime Executive


U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned crude oil tanker that was transiting the Indian Ocean in what the Pentagon is calling “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction.” It is unclear if the U.S. has seized the tanker, but it was done as a “show of force” just hours before possible negotiations were due to start in Pakistan and as the current ceasefire with Iran is due to expire.

Iran has yet to respond to this boarding, but it lashed out at the incident over the weekend when the U.S. disabled an Iranian containership when it attempted to breach the blockade. Iran called it a violation of the ceasefire and vowed to retaliate while reporting the Strait of Hormuz was again closed. Officials have threatened not to attend the scheduled peace negotiations, citing the U.S.’s “strong-arm” tactics and the postings on social media from Donald Trump and others.

The tanker named Tifani (300,000 dwt) appeared to have been laden and, according to its AIS, was in a position between Malaysia and Sri Lanka bound for Singapore (if its AIS data is truthful). The statement from the Pentagon seemed to confirm the position, as it said the interdiction was carried out in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

“We will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate. International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels,” the U.S. said in its statement on the interdiction.

 

 

Built in 2003, the tanker has been sailing since 2022 as Tifani with its management listed in India. Some databases are listing its flag as Palau or now Botswana. The Pentagon called the ship “stateless,” which is confirmed by Equasis, which lists the flag as unknown. Its flag history shows Palau, Panama, Cameroon, and Tanzania over the past five years, interspersed with periods of the flag being listed as unknown.

The United States sanctioned the tanker in July 2025, with reports saying it had been involved in at least two ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil near Singapore.

The interdiction of the tanker came as Donald Trump had asserted the U.S. blockade would remain in place, and military leaders said the interdictions would not be limited to the Gulf of Oman. Images released by the Pentagon showed U.S. forces boarding the Tifani from helicopters. In the background, a U.S. Navy Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base appears to be involved and launched the boarding.

 

USN vessel in the background during the interdiction (Pentagon)

 

Yesterday, U.S. Central Command reported that 27 vessels had been directed to turn around or return to an Iranian port as part of the ongoing blockade. Bloomberg, however, is reporting that two cargo ships and a fuel tanker appeared to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday morning. It also reports that on Monday, two Iran-linked liquefied petroleum gas carriers and two oil product tankers — including one with Iranian ties — transited the Strait in both directions.

Iranian media this morning claimed that an Iranian oil tanker evaded the blockade with escorts from the Iranian Navy. TankersTrackers.com posted identifying the vessel as the Felicity (300,000 dwt), a crude oil tanker built in 2000 and sailing under the Iranian flag.