US Forces Divert Iranian Tankers Across Asian Waters as Maritime Blockade Expands

Minteesinot Niggusie

The United States has redirected at least three Iranian-flagged oil tankers in Asian waters, extending enforcement of its maritime restrictions beyond the Gulf region, according to shipping and security sources. The vessels, identified as the Deep Sea, Sevin and Dorena, were intercepted near shipping lanes off India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka in recent days, with some placed under naval escort.

United States Central Command said the Dorena is being accompanied by a US Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after attempting to breach the blockade. The moves come as Washington intensifies efforts to curb Iran’s seaborne trade, while Tehran has responded by targeting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian authorities said on Wednesday they had seized two container ships attempting to exit the Gulf, marking their first such action since the conflict began. Shipping data indicates the Deep Sea supertanker, partially loaded with crude, was last tracked off Malaysia about a week ago.

The Sevin, with a capacity of one million barrels and carrying roughly 65 percent of its cargo, was last recorded in the same region a month earlier. The Dorena, fully laden with an estimated two million barrels, was last seen off southern India three days ago.

A further vessel, the Iranian-flagged Derya, may also have been intercepted after failing to discharge cargo in India before a US waiver on Iranian oil imports expired. It was last tracked off India’s western coast late last week, according to maritime data.

Since the start of the operation, United States Central Command said US forces have ordered 29 vessels to change course or return to port, though it has not disclosed the full list of ships involved. Security sources said operations are increasingly being conducted in open waters outside the Strait of Hormuz to reduce risks associated with naval mines, as tensions escalate along critical energy shipping routes.

Strategic maritime locations have become increasingly volatile amid these diversions.