The U.S. Department of Defense has said it will intercept sanctioned ships that provide material support to Iran, regardless of where they are located.
According to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the tanker M/T Tifani, which was the target of the latest US operation, was placed under sanctions because it was transporting Iranian oil.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the unit often changed its flag. According to MarineTraffic, the ship was in the Indian Ocean, near Sri Lanka.
Blockade of Iranian ports. US declares “active prosecution”
The Americans have been blocking Iranian ports for over a week. As reported by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday, so far 28 ships have turned back or returned to ports at the request of the Americans.
Last week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine declared that the U.S. would “actively pursue” shadow fleet ships that aid Iran, even if they are outside the Persian Gulf.
The boarding of the M/T Tifani marks the first time Americans have boarded a vessel under the blockade outside the Middle East. On Sunday, American forces seized an Iranian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman.
On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, announced that American forces would begin boarding ships linked to Iran. As the daily emphasized, the decision to increase economic pressure on Iran is intended to force the regime in Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make concessions regarding its nuclear program.
The expansion of the U.S. operation is intended to allow the U.S. to take control of Iran-related vessels around the world, including tankers that transport Iranian oil and vessels carrying weapons that could support the Iranian regime. The newspaper emphasized that most of the approximately 1.6 million barrels of oil exported daily from Iran goes to China.
