(United States, 26th) The US Central Command issued a statement saying that the US military intercepted a sanctioned merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea and forced the ship to return to Iran.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the US Central Command issued a statement on Saturday (April 25), stating that earlier that day, the US Navy destroyer USS Pinckney dispatched a helicopter to intercept the merchant ship sanctioned by the United States. At present, the merchant ship, under US orders, is being escorted back to Iran.
Bloomberg reported that the vessel, named the M/V Sevan, is one of 19 ships in the so-called “shadow fleet” with Iranian ties that were sanctioned by the US Treasury Department on Friday (April 24). The sanctions were imposed because these ships are suspected of “transporting billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian energy, oil, and natural gas products, including propane and butane, to overseas markets.”
This is part of President Trump’s measures to blockade Iran’s energy exports.
This is part of President Trump’s measures to blockade Iran’s energy exports.
Central Command pointed out that the US military continues to enforce the blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports. Since the blockade measures were implemented, 37 ships have been forced to change their routes.