U.S. Intercepts Another Iranian Oil Tanker As Trump Threatens To Sink Ships Laying Mines

The U.S. Navy interdicted another Iranian-linked oil tanker on Thursday, as the U.S. and Iran continued to trade ship seizures, both near the Strait of Hormuz and in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. forces carried out a “right-of-visit” boarding mission on the M/T Majestic X, a sanctioned and stateless vessel in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility, according to the Pentagon.

The operation was part of a broader enforcement campaign aimed at disrupting “illicit networks” that provide support to Iran, the Department of Defense wrote in a statement.

“International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain,” the department wrote on X.

The operation is the second of its kind beyond the Strait of Hormuz and underscores the expansiveness of the U.S. Navy’s attempt to strangle Iranian oil exports.

Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said its forces have turned around 33 vessels since the operations began.

President Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade last week and declared that naval forces would intercept any ships attempting to leave or enter Iranian ports.

The operation is intended as a pressure tactic, curbing Tehran’s lucrative energy export business.Continue Your, Reading. .