US intercepts Iran-affiliated tanker in Indo-Pacific
Shafaq News- Washington/ Tehran
US forces on Tuesday boarded the sanctioned oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo-Pacific, as part of Washington’s expanding maritime sanctions enforcement targeting Iran’s oil exports, the US Department of Defense said on Monday.
The department claimed that the operation involved a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” of the stateless tanker without incident.
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.⁰⁰As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit… pic.twitter.com/EGwDe3dBI3
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026
Tifani has been sanctioned for transporting Iranian oil and is part of a network of so-called “shadow fleet” vessels used to evade restrictions through practices such as flag changes and covert ship-to-ship transfers, including activity reported near Singapore. Shipping data last placed the tanker in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
Since Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iran on April 13, US forces have “intercepted” more than 20 vessels suspected of violating sanctions, according to US statements, including the seizure of the container ship Touska near the Gulf of Oman.
