U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indo-Pacific on Tuesday, marking a major escalation as Washington extends its naval crackdown far beyond the Gulf.
The vessel, identified as the M/T Tifani, was intercepted and boarded in international waters in the Indian Ocean under the authority of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Pentagon said.
The operation was carried out “without incident” as part of what Washington described as a global campaign to disrupt networks supporting Iran’s economy and war effort.
The tanker, capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of crude, was sailing near Sri Lanka and had previously been sanctioned for transporting Iranian oil to Asian markets, according to U.S. officials.
Unlike earlier operations near the Strait of Hormuz, Tuesday’s interdiction took place thousands of kilometres away, underscoring a widening U.S. strategy to enforce sanctions “anywhere they operate.”
Pentagon officials made clear the shift is deliberate.
“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels,” the department said, vowing to pursue Iran-linked shipping globally.
The move comes just hours before a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran is set to expire, with last-ditch talks expected in Pakistan but still uncertain.
Iran has already condemned similar U.S. actions as violations of the truce, warning that continued maritime pressure could derail diplomacy.
Tuesday’s operation is the second major U.S. maritime action in recent days, following the seizure of an Iranian-linked vessel near the Gulf.
