US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters - Report

The U.S. military has stopped at least three oil tankers flying the Iranian flag in Asian waters, redirecting them from their locations near India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, according to shipping and security sources on Wednesday. The U.S. has enforced a blockade on Iran’s maritime trade, while Iran has attacked ships to stop them from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which leads into the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel started their military actions against Iran, there are few signs that peace talks will resume during the fragile ceasefire. The blockade of the strait has affected the supply of one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas, leading to a global energy crisis. Recently, U.S. forces seized an Iranian cargo ship and an oil tanker. On Wednesday, Iran reported capturing two container ships trying to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz after firing on them, marking its first ship seizures since the conflict began. According to two U.S. and Indian shipping sources, along with two Western maritime security sources who spoke to Reuters, the U.S. has diverted at least three more Iranian oil tankers in the past few days. The U.S. military has not yet commented on these interceptions. One of the stopped vessels was the Iranian-flagged Deep Sea supertanker, which was partially loaded with crude oil and was last tracked near Malaysia’s coast a week ago, based on ship tracking data from MarineTraffic. Another tanker, the smaller Iranian-flagged Sevin, which can hold up to 1 million barrels and was carrying 65% of its capacity, was also intercepted; it was last seen off Malaysia's coast a month ago, according to tracking data. Additionally, the Iranian-flagged supertanker Dorena was intercepted, fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude oil and last spotted off the southern coast of India three days ago. The U.S. Central Command announced on Wednesday via X that the Dorena is currently being escorted by a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after trying to breach the blockade.