Reuters, citing shipping and security sources, reported on April 22 (local time) that U.S. forces detained at least three Iranian-flagged tankers near waters off India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka and directed other vessels operating in the area to change course.
Sources and the ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic said one of the intercepted vessels, the Iranian-flagged tanker Deep Sea, was carrying a partial load of crude and was last seen off Malaysia a week earlier.
Another Iranian-flagged ship, Sevin, last spotted off Malaysia a month ago, was also among those blocked. It was carrying about 65% of its capacity of up to 1 million barrels.
The Iranian-flagged tanker Dorena, fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude, was reported to have had its movements controlled by U.S. forces after it was confirmed off India’s southern coast three days earlier.
U.S. Central Command said on X that Dorena is being escorted by a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after attempting to violate the blockade measures. CENTCOM also said it has ordered a total of 29 ships to turn back or return to port since it began blocking vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports.
Shipping sources said the Iranian-flagged Derya, last seen on April 17 in waters off western India, may also have been blocked. The ship was reported to have failed to unload cargo in India before a U.S. sanctions waiver for purchases of Iranian crude expired on April 19.
The United States is conducting what it calls a counter-blockade operation to pressure Iran’s economy in response to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, intercepting ships traveling to and from Iranian ports. The U.S. military previously said it secured an Iranian cargo ship after firing naval guns at it in the Gulf of Oman near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz on April 19. It also detained additional sanctioned vessels linked to Iran in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility ahead of a second ceasefire negotiation.
After the second ceasefire talks collapsed and President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire, Iran has also stepped up its use of force to block the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it detained three ships that tried to transit the strait without Iran’s permission.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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