Sanctioned tanker boarded by US forces over Iranian oil transfers

Key Points:

• U.S. forces conducted a boarding and interdiction operation on the stateless crude oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo-Pacific Command area, seizing the vessel without incident due to its involvement in transferring Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
• The M/T Tifani, known for "going dark" by turning off its Automatic Identification System, has a history of carrying Iranian oil through ship-to-ship transfers and was tracked near Sri Lanka and Singapore before the interdiction.
• This operation follows a similar U.S. naval action against the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska, which was disabled in the Strait of Hormuz for attempting to bypass a maritime blockade, highlighting ongoing U.S. efforts to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil shipments.
• The U.S. Department of Defense emphasized that international waters are not safe havens for sanctioned vessels and reaffirmed its commitment to disrupting illicit maritime networks supporting Iran.
• China criticized the U.S. seizure of the Touska, calling the Strait of Hormuz situation "sensitive and complex," underscoring geopolitical tensions surrounding these enforcement actions.