US Forces Intercept, Turn Back Iran-Linked Tanker in Arabian Sea
A U.S. Navy helicopter intercepted and turned back toward Iran a sanctioned petrochemical tanker in the Arabian Sea on April 25, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.
The incident involved the M/V Sevan, a Panama-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker that was among 19 vessels sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department one day earlier for transporting Iranian petrochemical exports. According to CENTCOM, the merchant vessel began “complying with U.S. military direction to turn back to Iran under escort” after being intercepted.
Enforcement of Blockade Continues
U.S. forces have been enforcing a blockade against Iranian ports and Iran-linked vessels since April 13. The blockade is in place during a ceasefire with Iran, as President Donald Trump has called on Tehran to submit terms for a peace agreement after U.S. and Israeli forces commenced attacks against Iran on February 28.
During the ceasefire, the Treasury Department has enacted new sanctions, dubbed “Operation Economic Fury,” to cut off Tehran’s revenue streams. According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces have directed 37 vessels back to Iranian ports since the start of the blockade.
Recent Developments
This week, Iranian forces reported seizing the Liberia-flagged container ship MSC-Francesca and the Panama-flagged container ship Epaminondas. In a statement on Saturday, Iran‘s armed forces threatened to respond “if the aggressive U.S. military continues its blockade, piracy, and maritime banditry in the region.”
On Friday, the White House announced that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would head to Pakistan over the weekend for another round of peace talks with Iranian counterparts. However, Trump canceled those travel plans on Saturday, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Pakistan without the chance to speak directly with the U.S. negotiators.
Explaining his decision-making to reporters, Trump said the Iranian side had relayed a set of terms that he described as insufficient for a deal. “They gave us a paper that should have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump told reporters in Florida, before boarding Air Force One on a flight back to Washington.
Ongoing Efforts
U.S. forces continue to enforce U.S. sanctions and fully implement the blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports. Since April 13, U.S. forces have also boarded and seized control over three other Iran-linked vessels: M/V Touska, M/T Tifani, and M/T Majestic X.
As tensions between the two nations remain high, it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the coming days and weeks.
Original Article: US Forces Intercept, Turn Back Iran-Linked Tanker in Arabian Sea — Ntd