The US Department of Defense announced on social media on the 21st that US forces boarded and inspected an Iran-linked oil tanker on the evening of the 20th.
Vessel tracking data showed that the tanker was located in the Indian Ocean at the time, between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The report stated that the vessel, named "Tiffany," is stateless and under sanctions. The US military intercepted and boarded the tanker at sea, and the entire process went off without incident.
The report emphasized that the US military will conduct maritime law enforcement operations globally to intercept sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran.
According to US media reports, the tanker was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for smuggling Iranian crude oil.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, recently stated that the US military will track any vessels flying the Iranian flag or attempting to provide material support to Iran in the Pacific and other seas.