World News: U.S. Weighs Seizing Tankers Carrying Iranian Oil

 

 

“The Trump administration has discussed whether to seize additional tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil but has held off, concerned about Tehran's near-certain retaliation and the impact on global oil markets, U.S. officials said.

 

The U.S. has seized several ships that have carried Iranian oil as part of its two-month blockade of sanctioned tankers serving Venezuela. The tankers help transport illicit oil from numerous sanctioned countries to China and other buyers.

 

A move by the U.S. to block other sanctioned ships from loading oil in Iran would squeeze Tehran's main source of revenue, expanding the aggressive strategy the White House put in place in December in the Caribbean. But the option, one of several the White House has been debating to coerce Tehran to reach a deal restricting its nuclear program, faces many obstacles, some of the officials said.

 

Iran is likely to respond to a stepped-up U.S. crackdown by seizing tankers carrying oil from U.S. allies in the region or even by mining the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow exit from the Persian Gulf, through which as much as 25% of the world's petroleum supply passes. Either move is likely to drive up oil prices sharply, risking a political firestorm for the White House.

 

More than 20 ships that transport Iranian oil have been sanctioned by the Treasury Department this year, making them possible seizure targets, officials say. If the U.S. boarded one of the sanctioned vessels, it would have to divert personnel and possibly other ships to escort the tanker either to the U.S. or another location willing to store the Iranian crude, officials said.

 

Asked to comment on the possibility that the U.S. would board Iran-linked tankers, a White House official said Trump prefers diplomacy but that he has options if the talks collapse.

 

U.S. strikes on Iranian territory could damage the regime but potentially leave it intact, and Tehran has pledged to bomb U.S. bases if attacked. Targeting tankers, by contrast, could further weaken the regime by worsening its economic isolation.

 

The network of so-called shadow-fleet tankers conceals their role in transporting oil from Iran, Russia and other sanctioned countries. There are about 1,000 such vessels in the network, some shipping analysts said. If the ships are falsely flagged or flagged to a country that disowns them, the tankers can be subject to U.S. jurisdiction while in international waters.

 

The Treasury Department recently said it was sanctioning 14 more ships registered in countries such as Barbados, Cameroon and Panama for transporting Iranian petroleum in violation of sanctions, along with shipping companies in several countries that it said managed the vessels. Not all of the vessels are in the waters near Iran, say ship-tracking companies such as Lloyds List Intelligence.

 

The sanctions aim to stem the flow of revenue to the regime and lay the legal groundwork for potential seizures. The U.S. imposed similar sanctions on Iran-linked vessels in January.

 

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is sailing off the coast of Oman, could serve as a base of operations for boardings. The five guided-missile destroyers in the region also could be used to block or influence the movement of oil tankers.

 

The U.S. has a Coast Guard presence in Bahrain, across from Iran in the Persian Gulf. The Coast Guard has law-enforcement authority to enforce U.S. sanctions against trading Iranian oil, and likely would be used to lead any tanker boardings, legal analysts say.” [1]

 

1. World News: U.S. Weighs Seizing Tankers Carrying Iranian Oil. Holliday, Shelby; Paris, Costas; Malsin, Jared.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 11 Feb 2026: A6.