US Hijacks Iranian Ship Near Indonesian Waters
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEHERAN – The blockade carried out by the United States against Iranian ships is expanding far from the Strait of Hormuz. The latest development is that the United States has hijacked an Iranian tanker on its route to the Malacca Strait, not far from Indonesian waters.
Tracking of the oil tanker in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday showed Washington fulfilling its threat to track ships linked to Iran anywhere in the world.
Sea tracking data indicates that the oil tanker M/T Tifani (International Maritime Organization number 9273337), which can carry 2 million barrels of crude oil, was stopped at sea between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, more than 2,000 miles from the Persian Gulf, in the INDOPACOM area of operations.
The ship was heading to the Malacca Strait after being at Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal in the gulf on 6 April, according to satellite imagery viewed by CNN. Sea traffic data shows the vessel was in the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, on 10 April, moving southeast.
On 21 April, shortly after passing Sri Lanka, the tanker suddenly changed direction – first making a sharp 90-degree turn south, then another sharp 90-degree turn back east. Immediately after that, the US announced the hijacking of the ship.
CNN’s review of Tifani’s movements over the past year shows that the vessel frequently travelled between the Persian Gulf and Malaysia’s East Outer Port Limit (EOPL) on the eastern side of the Malacca Strait.
The US claims EOPL is a location where sanctioned oil from “dark fleet” tankers is transferred to other ships to obscure its origin and evade sanctions. Over the past year, Tifani appears to have conducted several similar transfers at EOPL and the Singapore Strait, according to MarineTraffic data. Satellite imagery shows the ship positioned right next to another tanker named Macho Queen in August 2025.
Video released on social media by the US Department of Defense shows troops boarding a helicopter on a US Navy warship and landing on the tanker. That warship, an expeditionary sea base the size of an aircraft carrier, can support helicopters and special forces.