U.S. military says it seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran

The US military seized the Guinea-flagged oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean on April 23, 2026, on grounds of its association with Iranian oil smuggli...

What Happened

The US military seized the Guinea-flagged oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean on April 23, 2026, on grounds of its association with Iranian oil smuggling — the latest in a series of tanker seizures by US naval forces as part of a retaliatory blockade of Iranian ports.
The seizure came one day after Iran's IRGC paramilitary forces attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, capturing two of them, in an escalation of its campaign to restrict shipping through the critical waterway.
The US military separately fired on and disabled the Iran-flagged tanker M/V Touska in the Arabian Sea on April 19, disabling its engines and later boarding and seizing the vessel.
US CENTCOM confirmed it had released video footage of US forces on the deck of the Majestic X, demonstrating the practical enforcement of the naval blockade beyond the Persian Gulf into the Indian Ocean.
CENTCOM stated the blockade had directed 31 ships to turn around or return to port as of late April 2026.
Shipping traffic through the strait remains far below pre-war levels; in peacetime, the strait serves as the passage for approximately 20% of the world's traded oil.

Static Topic Bridges

Maritime Security and the Law of the Sea

Maritime security encompasses the protection of a state's interests at sea, including the safety of sea lanes, prevention of piracy, and enforcement of international law in maritime zones. Under UNCLOS and customary international law, states may board and search foreign vessels on the high seas under specific circumstances: with the flag state's consent, when engaging in piracy, slave trading, unauthorized broadcasting, or when a vessel is without nationality.

Seizure of foreign-flagged vessels by the US Navy under an undeclared blockade sits in a legally contested space — UNCLOS Article 110 sets out the narrow grounds for stopping foreign ships on the high seas.
The US has historically justified such actions using the doctrine of belligerent rights in an armed conflict or under sanctions enforcement frameworks.
Iran's seizure of third-country cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz raises parallel concerns about interference with freedom of navigation.
Under the laws of naval warfare, neutral vessels may be seized by a belligerent if they are carrying contraband destined for the enemy — a doctrine invoked by both sides.

Connection to this news: Both the US seizure of tankers linked to Iranian oil and Iran's capture of foreign cargo ships represent competing assertions of maritime belligerent rights, with direct consequences for global shipping insurance costs, trade flows, and diplomatic relations with third-party states.

Chokepoints and Global Trade Vulnerability

Chokepoints are narrow passages through which large volumes of maritime trade must pass, making them strategic vulnerabilities. The world's major maritime chokepoints include the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Panama Canal.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil chokepoint, with approximately 20–21 million barrels per day in peacetime transit.
Disruptions at Hormuz have historically triggered immediate spikes in Brent crude prices and LNG spot prices.
Unlike the Suez Canal, there is no viable full-capacity bypass for Persian Gulf oil exports: the Saudi East-West Pipeline and UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline provide only partial alternatives.
India's exposure is particularly high: India imports over 80% of its crude oil and relies heavily on Gulf sources.
The International Energy Agency has described the loss of approximately 13 million barrels per day from the current crisis as the world's biggest energy security threat in history.

Connection to this news: Each vessel seized or sunk in the strait raises shipping insurance premiums (war risk surcharges), deters commercial traffic, and further tightens the supply squeeze on global energy markets.

IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Asymmetric Naval Warfare

The IRGC is Iran's elite parallel military force, distinct from the conventional Iranian Army. The IRGC Navy (IRGCN) specialises in asymmetric naval warfare in the Persian Gulf — deploying fast attack boats, mines, and swarming tactics designed to offset US naval superiority through harassment and disruption rather than direct confrontation.

The IRGC was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US in April 2019.
IRGCN fast boats are equipped with rockets, torpedoes, and mines; their tactics include swarming larger vessels and laying sea mines.
Iran has a history of tanker seizures: it seized the British-flagged Stena Impero in July 2019, and multiple oil tankers in 2023–2024 amid earlier escalations.
Mining of the Strait of Hormuz is a key asymmetric tool — Iran reportedly began laying mines after the start of Operation Epic Fury in February 2026.
Pentagon assessments cited in media reports suggested it could take up to six months to completely clear the strait of Iranian-laid mines.

Connection to this news: The IRGC's seizure of two cargo ships on April 22 and Iran's continued mine-laying operations represent the asymmetric response to US conventional naval dominance, designed to impose costs on global shipping and maintain leverage over the US blockade.

Sanctions and Secondary Sanctions on Iranian Oil

The US has maintained comprehensive economic sanctions on Iran since 1979, substantially expanded after 2018 when the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA. A key element is the prohibition on importing or facilitating the trade of Iranian oil, backed by secondary sanctions that can punish third-country companies and banks that engage in such transactions.

Under Executive Order 13902 and related orders, entities transacting in Iranian oil face designation by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Despite sanctions, Iran has continued oil exports through a network of ship-to-ship transfers, flag changes, and documentation manipulation — practices known as "sanctions busting."
The Majestic X, flagged to Guinea, was seized on allegations of involvement in Iranian oil smuggling — illustrating US efforts to enforce sanctions beyond Iranian-flagged vessels.
Secondary sanctions create friction in global oil markets and complicate relations with countries (including India and China) that have sought Iranian oil.

Connection to this news: The US seizure of the Majestic X as an alleged Iranian oil smuggling vessel represents active enforcement of secondary sanctions in a conflict context, escalating beyond the seizure of Iran-flagged ships to third-country vessels.

Key Facts & Data

In peacetime, approximately 20% of the world's traded oil (17–21 million barrels per day) transits the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's IRGC attacked three cargo ships in the strait on April 22, 2026, seizing two of them.
The US Navy seized the Guinea-flagged oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean on April 23, 2026.
The Iran-flagged tanker M/V Touska was fired upon and seized in the Arabian Sea on April 19, 2026.
US CENTCOM reported directing 31 ships to turn around or return to port as part of the blockade by late April 2026.
The IEA estimates approximately 13 million barrels per day of oil supply have been disrupted by the current crisis.
The Pentagon has assessed it could take up to six months to completely clear the strait of Iranian-laid mines.
India imports over 80% of its crude oil, with significant volumes sourced from the Persian Gulf region.