U.S. forces boarded an Iran-linked tanker in the Indian Ocean as part of an expanded campaign targeting maritime shipments tied to Tehran, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The tanker, identified as the M/T Tifani, was intercepted in the Bay of Bengal, between India and Southeast Asia, and was carrying Iranian oil, according to a U.S. defense official cited by Associated Press.
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.⁰⁰As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit… pic.twitter.com/EGwDe3dBI3
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026
“Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM (Indo-Pacific Command) area of responsibility,” the War Department wrote on X.
“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—anywhere they operate.”
According to the AP report, the military will decide within the next four days what to do with the vessel, including whether to tow it back to the U.S. or transfer it to another country.
Gregory Brew, senior analyst for Iran and oil at Eurasia Group, said the Tifani, which departed Iran’s Kharg Island on April 5, was likely boarded and searched, but not taken into custody. “As of 3 hours ago, it was still en route to Singapore, though its course had shifted south,” he said, citing Kpler tracking data.
Tifani embarked from Kharg on 5 April, bound for Singapore.
FWIW this post suggests the ship was boarded and searched but not seized.
As of 3 hours ago, it was still en route to Singapore, though its course had shifted south, per Kpler. https://t.co/Em2P9ZRKrT
— Gregory Brew (@gbrew24) April 21, 2026
The boarding of the Tifani came just days after Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said that the U.S. would “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran” anywhere in the world.
The incident follows the U.S. naval blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command said 28 ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports have been turned back since the blockade was imposed April 13.
Since the start of the U.S. blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, U.S. forces have directed 28 vessels to turn around or return to port. pic.twitter.com/mZOq3SfxKt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 21, 2026
The boarding of the Tifani comes two days after the U.S. seized the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel Touska in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait and ignored repeated warnings to stop.
