Iranian hijacked tankers are crossing the Atlantic Ocean and are likely heading towards Texas to initiate their judicial seizure process. Recently, the specialized maritime information and monitoring website, Maritime, published this information.
Seizure of Tankers and New Routes
The Pentagon reported on the first and third of Ordibehesht that the tankers 'Tiffany' and 'Majestic X' had been seized. After their seizure, these tankers moved towards the western Indian Ocean and the Chagos Archipelago, where the U.S. military base is located on Diego Garcia Island. The third tanker, 'Davina' (Lenore), was also stopped near Sri Lanka in June.
Meanwhile, TankerTrackers has reported the movement of 6 million barrels of Iranian oil worth $600 million towards the U.S. These shipments are being transferred unofficially and will soon reach U.S. shores.
Legal Actions by the Trump Administration
Maritime reports that the Trump administration intends to seize these tankers and has taken steps in August to revive an old maritime legal mechanism. Bloomberg estimates indicate that the 'Tiffany' and 'Majestic X' tankers will enter U.S. waters in the coming weeks, but the 'Davina' will arrive with a longer delay.
These movements could create new dimensions of maritime tensions in U.S.-Iran relations. As Iran faces severe economic sanctions, this action by the U.S. government is seen as an additional pressure on the Iranian economy.
As a result, the movement of Iranian hijacked tankers towards Texas and the possibility of their seizure has become an important topic in monitoring maritime and economic developments and requires more attention.
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