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US Navy SEALs Board and Seize Sanctioned Iranian Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean
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US Navy SEALs boarded and seized a sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean, New York Times (NYT) reported on April 21.
The seizure is part of the US President Donald Trump administration’s efforts to put pressure Tehran’s economy following the US-Israeli conflict against Iran that began on February 28.
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The operation targeted the M/T Tifani, which is currently held in military custody in the Bay of Bengal. The Defense Department released video footage of the nighttime helicopter raid, stating the military will actively pursue and disrupt illicit networks providing material support to Iran anywhere they operate.
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
A US military official told NYT the White House will determine the ultimate fate of the vessel and its cargo.
The boarding follows a US maritime blockade established outside the Strait of Hormuz. According to US Central Command, the Navy has turned back 27 ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports over the past week.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine warned that commanders in the Indo-Pacific region will “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.”
Over the past month, Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off 20% of the world’s oil trade and driving up energy prices. In response, the US established its own naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
The 900-foot Iranian-flagged Touska cargo vessel was recently seized after a six-hour standoff when a US destroyer fired on the vessel and Marines boarded it via helicopter. The ship and its cargo could now legally become US government property.
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