US Military Intercepts 3 Iranian Oil Tankers in Asian Waters
The United States military has reportedly intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged oil tankers in Asian waters and diverted their routes from positions near India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.
This was revealed by shipping and security sources, as reported by Reuters and Al Arabiya news agencies on Thursday (23/4/2026).
Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s maritime trade, while Iran has fired upon ships to prevent them from sailing through the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Middle East’s Gulf. Nearly two months after the US and Israel initiated their war against Iran, there are few signs that peace negotiations will resume during the unstable ceasefire.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted supplies of one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas, causing a global energy crisis. US forces have seized an Iranian cargo ship and an oil tanker in recent days. Meanwhile, Iran claims to have captured two container ships attempting to exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (22/4), after firing upon them and other vessels, marking their first seizures since the war began.
The United States has intercepted and diverted at least three Iranian-flagged oil tankers in recent days, according to two US and Indian shipping sources and two Western maritime security sources who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday (22/4).
The US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the interceptions.
One of the vessels is the Iranian-flagged supertanker Deep Sea, which was partially loaded with crude oil and was last seen on its public tracking transponder off the coast of Malaysia a week ago, according to sources and ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.
Another vessel, the smaller tanker Sevin, also Iranian-flagged, with a maximum capacity of 1 million barrels and carrying 65 percent of its load, was also intercepted. The ship was last seen off the coast of Malaysia a month ago, according to ship tracking data.
The Iranian-flagged supertanker Dorena was also intercepted, fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude oil, and was last seen off southern India three days ago, according to sources and ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.
The US Central Command stated on Wednesday in a post on social media platform X that the Dorena had been escorted by a US Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after attempting to breach the blockade.
The US Central Command said that since the blockade began on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, US forces have ordered 29 ships to turn back or return to port.