The US military conducted a naval operation in the Indian Ocean and stopped the sanctioned vessel MT DAVINA for inspection. The Indo-Pacific Command of the US Armed Forces announced this on June 5 on the social network X.
According to the command, the operation took place in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and included an inspection of the vessel based on the right of inspection. The ship, according to their information, did not have official state registration.
“We will continue global maritime law enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and intercept vessels that provide material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the statement said.
The American side emphasized that international waters cannot be used as protection for sanctioned entities and that such operations will continue in the future to limit their activities in the maritime space.
According to Reuters, it is a supertanker capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of crude oil. In October 2024, the ship was placed on US sanctions lists due to its participation in the transportation of Iranian oil.
The ship is also known by another name – Lenore. It was last located off the southern coast of Sri Lanka and was likely almost completely loaded with oil at the time of the operation, according to ship tracking data.
