American forces carried out an overnight helicopter-borne raid and seized the tanker M/T Tifani in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The operation-footage of which was released by the U.S. Department of Defense-demonstrates the expansion of the maritime blockade on Iran beyond the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, directly targeting the “shadow fleet" used by Tehran to transport oil and supplies under sanctions.
According to the Pentagon’s official report, U.S. forces boarded the tanker, classified as “stateless," after it was determined that it was providing material support to Iranian entities. The operation was conducted without unusual incidents.
“During the night, U.S. forces conducted a right of visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding of the tanker designated ‘Tifani’ without incident in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility," the Department of Defense said in a statement.
The Department of Defense emphasized that the action was not incidental but part of a broader strategy to disrupt Iranian supply routes worldwide: “As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran-wherever they operate."
Officials in Washington stressed that the international maritime domain will no longer be a safe haven for ships attempting to circumvent sanctions: “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of Defense will continue to deny unlawful actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain."