US seizes another oil tanker linked to Iran

The Pentagon announced that US forces on Thursday seized another tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling. This escalated the confrontation with Iran a day after its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps took control of two vessels in the vital Strait of Hormuz, AP reports, writes UNN.

Details

The US Department of Defense released a video of American troops on the deck of the oil tanker Majestic X, which was seized in the Indian Ocean.

"We will continue global maritime operations to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Ship tracking data showed the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly in the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, previously seized by US forces. It was reportedly headed for Zhoushan in China.

Iran did not immediately react to the news of the seizure.

The seizure came a day after Iran attacked three cargo ships in the strait, seizing two of them, escalating its crackdown on shipping in the key waterway through which 20% of the world's oil trade passes in peacetime.

The Majestic X is a Guyanese-flagged oil tanker. It was previously named Phonix and was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian oil, violating US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire while maintaining the American blockade of Iranian ports.

The confrontation between the US and Iran has effectively halted almost all exports through the strait, with no end in sight.

The conflict has already led to a sharp increase in fuel prices far beyond the region and higher costs for food and a wide range of other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has exceeded $100 per barrel, 35% higher than pre-war levels, but stock markets still seem to be ignoring it.

European Union Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen on Wednesday warned of lasting consequences for consumers and businesses, comparing it to other major energy crises over the past half-century. He said the disruptions were costing Europe about 500 million euros ($600 million) daily.

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