Video U.S. forces board Iran-linked tanker in Pacific
In a nighttime operation, U.S. naval forces successfully interdicted and boarded the stateless, sanctioned oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area without incident, the Department of War announced Tuesday.
The operation, described as a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding,” underscores Washington’s ongoing campaign to disrupt illicit shipping networks supporting Iran.
“Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility,” the department stated in a social media post.
The announcement emphasised that international waters offer no sanctuary for violators.
“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate,” it added.
“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
Accompanying video footage showed deck operations on a U.S. naval vessel, including helicopters launching and intercepting a large red tanker at sea—consistent with standard rotary-wing procedures for high-seas boardings.
Earlier operations have spanned from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, aiming to choke off sanction-evading networks.
