The US military boarded and detained the Botswana‑flagged tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo‑Pacific in an operation the Pentagon said targeted a sanctioned vessel carrying Iranian crude. Officials and maritime trackers say the ship loaded roughly 2 million barrels at Kharg Island and was last tracked between Sri Lanka and the Strait of Malacca. Iran condemned the seizure as "piracy at sea," while US officials said the action was meant to disrupt illicit oil networks as ceasefire talks with Tehran teetered on the brink.
US Seizes Iran-Linked Tanker M/T Tifani As Fragile Ceasefire With Tehran Nears Expiry
A cargo ship sits in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Ras al-Khaimah, UAE [File: Reuters]
United States forces boarded and detained the oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo‑Pacific, the Pentagon said Tuesday, in an operation that comes as a fragile, two‑week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran nears expiration. The US Department of Defense said the stateless, sanctioned vessel was boarded "without incident" during a right‑of‑visit maritime interdiction in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
What the Pentagon Says
The Department of Defense posted video of helicopters hovering above the large bright‑orange tanker and said the move was intended "to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate." The exact coordinates of the operation were not released.
Where The Ship Came From And What It Carried
An unnamed US defence official told The Associated Press the Tifani was seized in the Bay of Bengal and was carrying Iranian crude. Energy intelligence firm Kpler, cited by AFP, reported the vessel had loaded about 2 million barrels of crude oil on Iran's Kharg Island on April 5 and transited the Strait of Hormuz on April 9. Maritime tracker MarineTraffic showed the ship's last signal roughly halfway between Sri Lanka and the Strait of Malacca, heading toward Singapore.
Intelligence firm Vanguard Tech identified the tanker as Botswana‑flagged. Analysts say the Tifani has in recent years conducted frequent ship‑to‑ship transfers off Singapore and Malaysia and made multiple voyages between that region and destinations including Iran and China.
Diplomatic Fallout
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman told state television the country had not yet decided whether to attend a proposed second round of talks and denounced the boarding of the Tifani and the earlier seizure of an Iranian‑flagged cargo ship as "piracy at sea and state terrorism." The US Navy said it attacked and seized the cargo ship on Sunday after alleging it tried to evade the blockade.
The detention complicates efforts to resume negotiations; initial talks that began earlier this month ended on April 12 without a breakthrough, and Pakistan was working to broker a follow‑up meeting as the ceasefire deadline approached. President Donald Trump, according to public remarks cited by US officials, said US forces were "raring to go" if no agreement is reached.
Next Steps
US authorities said they will decide in the coming days whether to tow the Tifani back to the United States or transfer custody to another country. Maritime‑data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence reported that at least 26 ships from Iran's so‑called "ghost fleet" had bypassed the US blockade since it was imposed last week, highlighting the challenges of enforcing an interdiction campaign across wide ocean areas.
Note: Several details, including the ship's exact seizure coordinates and final disposition, remain subject to official confirmation.
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