US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — A U.S. Marine is seen during a simulated visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation aboard the landing dock transport ship, USS San Diego (LPD 22) in the Philippine Sea, Feb. 6, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Maksim Masloboev via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS))

WASHINGTON  -  U.S. forces conducted an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina overnight in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said on Friday.

Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's sea trade while Tehran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. 

U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months. 

"We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the Indo-Pacific Command wrote in an X post.

The Davina, a supertanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil, was placed under U.S. sanctions in October 2024 for Iranian oil trading, according to ship tracking data.

The vessel, also known as the Lenore, was last seen on June 5 off Sri Lanka's southern coast, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed on Friday.

The vessel's draft indicated that it was almost fully laden with an oil cargo, separate shipping data showed.

 (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Jonathan Saul; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Joe Bavier // REUTERS)