The US military is preparing to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial vessels in international waters in the coming days.
Points of attention
- US military is set to conduct raids on oil tankers linked to Iran and seize commercial vessels in international waters.
- Expansion of sanctions by the US Treasury Department aims to compel Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make concessions on its nuclear program.
US to seize tankers linked to Iran
This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed American officials.
According to the publication's sources, the US military is preparing to conduct raids on oil tankers linked to Iran and seize commercial vessels in international waters in the coming days, expanding its naval operations beyond the Middle East.
The Trump administration's decision to increase economic pressure on Tehran is aimed at forcing the Iranian regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make concessions on its nuclear program.
It would also allow the US to take control of Iran-linked vessels, including those carrying Iranian oil and located outside the Persian Gulf and carrying weapons.
The US Treasury Department on Wednesday expanded the list of vessels, companies and individuals subject to sanctions to increase pressure on the illicit trade in Iranian oil.
The District of Columbia Attorney General's Office said it was working to expose networks supporting the Iranian regime, and the unit played a key role in serving arrest warrants for ships carrying oil from Venezuela that were intercepted by the U.S. military in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans this year.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, stated that the US would actively pursue any vessel flying the Iranian flag or attempting to provide support to Iran.
He said the move would target shadow fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. The move would mark a new phase of the US pressure campaign against Tehran, dubbed “Economic Fury” by the Trump administration, following in the footsteps of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
