Fforces of the United States Navy intercepted and boarded the tanker M/T Majestic X early this morning in the Indian Ocean, a sanctioned and stateless vessel carrying Iranian crude oil within the area of responsibility of the Indo-Pacific Command.
The U.S. Department of War confirmed the operation this Thursday through a statement accompanied by images and a video in which a military personnel can be heard warning the ship's crew via radio: "we intend to proceed to board your vessel".
"During the night, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and boarding in exercise of the right of visit of the sanctioned vessel M/T Majestic X, which is unflagged and was transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the area of responsibility of Indopacom," stated the Pentagon.
The action takes place just two days after forces from the same command boarded the M/T Tifani, another sanctioned and stateless tanker that had loaded crude oil at the Iranian island of Kharg and was heading to the Strait of Malacca with a capacity of two million barrels.
In total, the Central Command reported on Wednesday that it has interrupted the passage of at least 31 ships since the blockade against Iran began, an operation that has deployed more than 10,000 military personnel, 17 warships, and 100 aircraft in the waters near the Islamic Republic.
The blockade was ordered by President Donald Trump in mid-April, amid the armed conflict that began on February 28, 2026 with coordinated attacks from the U.S. and Israeli air forces that destroyed more than 5,000 Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities.
Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, blocking the passage of 20% of the world's oil and causing the price of Brent crude to surge from 67 to over 126 dollars.
The interceptions in the Indian Ocean expand the theater of operations beyond the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, stretching thousands of miles from the Iranian coasts, reflecting Washington's determination to cut off any funding routes to the Tehran regime.
The blockade costs Iran approximately 500 million dollars daily in oil losses, according to estimates from April 2026.
The Department of Defense was categorical in justifying the operation: "International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors. We will continue to dismantle illicit networks and intercept vessels that provide material support to Iran, wherever they operate."
Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire that has been in effect since April 7, stipulating that Iran must present a unified proposal for a nuclear agreement, and noted that there is a possibility of resuming peace negotiations next Friday in Pakistan.
Filed under: