US Marines boarded sanctioned crude tanker in Indian Ocean, says MarineTraffic

US Marines boarded the sanctioned large crude carrier Tifani in the Indian Ocean, according to the shipping tracking platform MarineTraffic, in a move that appeared to mark a further escalation in enforcement against Iran-linked shipping.

MarineTraffic said on the US social media company X that the 330-meter tanker, built in 2003, was carrying around 2 million barrels of crude loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island earlier this month.

According to the vessel-tracking platform, the tanker crossed Dondra Head on April 19 and entered Southeast Asia on April 20 before being boarded by US Marines.

MarineTraffic data showed the Tifani was still underway in Southeast Asia at around 6 knots with a reported draft of 20 meters, indicating that it remained laden.

Since June 2020, Tifani has exported around 34 million barrels of crude oil out of Iran, according to TankerTrackers.

The vessel has also received at least 24 million barrels via ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in Southeast Asia for delivery to China.

The Tifani was finally placed under US sanctions last summer, TankerTrackers added.

On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the US forces have directed 28 vessels to turn around or return since the start of the blockade of Iranian ports.

The development comes amid tighter scrutiny of Iran-linked shipping routes and cargo movements following Washington’s stepped-up enforcement actions targeting Tehran’s oil trade.