United States seizes Iran-linked ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in Indian Ocean

The US seized an oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean amid US President Donald Trump’s constant military strike threats, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing US officials. The Wall Street Journal cited three US officials who confirmed that the vessel ‘Skywave’ was detained overnight after being identified as part of a network involved in transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil. The tanker had earlier been sanctioned by Washington in March. Tracking data showed the ship moving west of Malaysia after crossing the Strait of Malacca earlier this week. Intelligence reports and shipping data indicated that the tanker had likely loaded more than one million barrels of crude from Iran’s Kharg Island in February. Officials said the vessel was operating in a region frequently associated with covert ship-to-ship oil transfers, often used by so-called “shadow fleet” tankers to conceal the origin of sanctioned cargo. (ANI)

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