US interdicts stateless sanctioned tanker sailing from Iran to China

By Fox News · Fox News

U.S. forces conducted a boarding and interdiction operation overnight on a stateless sanctioned crude oil tanker in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility, the Department of War announced Tuesday. The operation saw U.S. forces board the M/T Tifani, a stateless crude oil tanker previously sanctioned by the U.S. State Department for facilitating the transfer of Iranian oil between ships. The military boarded the ship in INDOPACAM's area, which encompasses the entire Pacific Ocean and parts of the Indian Ocean, "without incident," according to the Pentagon's post on X. Open source maritime trackers showed the ship halting progress in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka. "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 post read. 'IRREGULAR' ARMED GUARDS ABOARD RUSSIAN SHADOW TANKERS ALARM NORDIC-BALTIC GOVERNMENTS "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," the post concluded. Open source maritime trackers showed the Tifani departing from Dongjiakou, China, in late March. According to commodities tracker Argus News , the vessel loaded up at the terminal on Iran's Kharg Island, the country's premier oil export terminal. The vessel --- which has historically sailed under the flags of Botswana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Palau, and Panama --- has loaded Iranian oil in ship-to-ship transfers with U.S.-sanctioned Iranian tankers at least twice in the past, according to the State Department. The vessel was heading to Riau Archipelago near Singapore before it was eventually expected to reach mainland China. IRAN NEARS CHINA ANTI-SHIP SUPERSONIC MISSILE DEAL AS US CARRIERS MASS IN REGION: REPORT M/T Tifani has also conducted " dark activity " near Singapore, according to Uk…