US seizes another oil tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling
What's the story
The United States military has seized another oil tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling. The tanker, named Majestic X, was captured in the Indian Ocean. The move comes amid rising tensions between the US and Iran after Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Defense Department has released footage of US forces on board the Majestic X during its seizure, saying, "International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors."
Tanker history
Majestic X was sanctioned by US Treasury Department in 2024
The Majestic X is a Guyana-flagged oil tanker that was previously named Phoenix. It was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in violation of US sanctions on Iran. Ship-tracking data indicated that the tanker was located in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia at the time of its seizure, similar to where another seized tanker, Tifani, had been headed.
Twitter Post
Defense Department releases video footage
Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 23, 2026
We will continue global maritime enforcement to… pic.twitter.com/SWF6Jt9Ci4
Ongoing enforcement
Pentagon vows to continue global maritime enforcement efforts
The Pentagon has vowed to continue its global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and vessels supporting Iran. "We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the Defense Department said in a statement. Iran has yet to respond to the seizure.