WANA (Apr 23) – The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the inspection and seizure of another oil tanker, claiming it was carrying Iranian oil.

 

According to the Pentagon, a tanker named Majestic X was intercepted and seized in the Indian Ocean. U.S. officials claim the vessel is under sanctions, lacks a clear nationality, and was transporting Iranian oil.

 

Meanwhile, oil shipment tracking firm TankerTrackers has alleged that the tanker is למעשה the same vessel previously known as Phoenix, which has reportedly assisted Iran in exporting around 20 million barrels of oil since 2023. The firm further claimed that the ship is “stateless” and had been flying the flag of Guyana without official authorization.

 

In a related development, the United States reportedly inspected and seized another tanker, Tiffany, sailing under the flag of Botswana, in the Indian Ocean en route to Singapore.

 

Earlier, on April 20, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) targeted and seized the container ship Touska in the northern Arabian Sea while it was heading toward Bandar Abbas.