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On Thursday, the U.S. Department of War announced that military forces intercepted and boarded the M/T Majestic X, a stateless vessel carrying sanctioned Iranian oil, in the Indian Ocean.
The Pentagon described it as a "sanctioned stateless vessel transporting oil from Iran," in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The development marked the second tanker boarding outside the Middle East in recent days as the U.S. blockade on Iran expands into global waters.
The U.S. Department of War statement said, "Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility."
"We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate. International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors," the U.S. Department of War said.
"The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain," the statement said.
The M/T Majestic X was described as stateless, a designation that removes flag-state protections and gives the U.S. military broader authority to board and search under international maritime law.
This latest boarding follows a surge in maritime enforcement since the blockade began on April 13.
Recent actions include the seizure of the Iranian ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman, the interception of three supertankers near Malaysia and India.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan, saying it would remain in place until Tehran presents what he described as a "unified proposal."
The diplomatic push by Islamabad aims to pave the way for a second round of U.S.-Iran talks expected to take place soon in the Pakistani capital.
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