US forces seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, marking the third capture amid ongoing tensions. No comment from the Pentagon yet.
The Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive news piece that U.S. forces conducted an operation during the night to seize an Iran-linked oil tanker sailing in the Indian Ocean. There has been no official statement from the Pentagon or U.S. military officials regarding the report.
The article stated that the vessel in question is the Skywave, one of the 'shadow fleet' tankers operating under a false flag. Records from Equasis indicate that the tanker, built in 2005, was sold to an undisclosed buyer in March 2025.
It was noted that this sale coincided with the period when the tanker was operating under the name 'Blue Gulf' and was placed on the U.S. sanctions list. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury had imposed sanctions on United Tankers and Lake View Ship Management Private Limited on March 31, 2025, for allegedly supporting Iranian oil trade.
In U.S. records, the tanker was previously listed under the Palau flag, while Equasis data shows that the vessel is currently flying the Comoros flag, which is considered a false flag. Some maritime databases indicate that the ship was sailing under the Botswana flag.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the tanker loaded oil at Iran's Kharg Island terminal in February and then headed east. The vessel's current AIS signals indicate that it is charting a course to the port of Qingdao in China, but it is currently moving towards the waters off Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
The newspaper noted that it could not be confirmed whether the vessel had discharged its cargo, while highlighting that the tanker is located in an area known for ship-to-ship oil transfers. It remains unclear whether the vessel has reached China or any other point in Asia.
According to the report, the tanker was targeted while passing through the Strait of Malacca following reports that it was being tracked by the U.S. The operation was alleged to have taken place during the night in the region between Malaysia and Sri Lanka. However, there has yet to be an official confirmation from U.S. authorities.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
