The operation marks the latest escalation in Washington’s widening crackdown on Iran’s covert oil trade network, which US authorities claim is helping Tehran bypass international sanctions through secret maritime operations across key global shipping routes.
US seizes Iran-linked oil tanker 'Skywave' in Indian Ocean as Trump intensifies hunt for ‘shadow fleet’
The United States has seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean amid intensifying confrontation with Tehran and renewed military threats from US President Donald Trump, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing American officials. The operation marks the latest escalation in Washington’s widening crackdown on Iran’s covert oil trade network, which US authorities claim is helping Tehran bypass international sanctions through secret maritime operations across key global shipping routes.
According to the report, the vessel identified as “Skywave” was detained overnight after US authorities linked it to a network allegedly transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil. The tanker had already been sanctioned by Washington earlier this year.
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US officials quoted in the report said intelligence assessments and shipping records suggested that the vessel had loaded more than one million barrels of crude oil from Iran’s Kharg Island in February before continuing its voyage through international waters.
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Shipping and tracking data reportedly showed the tanker moving west of Malaysia after crossing the strategically crucial Strait of Malacca earlier this week.
Officials said the vessel was operating in waters frequently associated with covert ship-to-ship oil transfers, a method commonly linked to so-called “shadow fleet” operations used to disguise the origins of sanctioned cargo.
American authorities have increasingly accused Iran of relying on ageing tanker networks to secretly transport crude oil in violation of international restrictions.
The latest interception adds to a growing series of maritime enforcement actions carried out by the United States against vessels allegedly tied to Iran’s energy exports.
According to the report, the US had earlier seized two other vessels: “Majestic X” and “Tifani” in the Indian Ocean in April as part of a broader operation targeting Iran-linked oil shipments.
US officials claim Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet” consists of nearly 1,000 ageing tankers involved in transporting sanctioned Iranian and Russian oil through concealed routes and offshore transfer operations.
Many of these shipments are reportedly destined for buyers in China and India, according to the report.
The aggressive enforcement campaign comes after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine publicly warned that the US military would actively pursue vessels supporting Iran’s oil trade.
“We will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” General Dan Caine had stated earlier this year.
The tanker seizure comes against the backdrop of rapidly escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following growing instability in the Middle East.
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