U.S. Forces Board Sanctioned Tanker in Indian Ocean as Iran Crackdown Expands Beyond Hormuz

U.S. forces have boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, signaling a widening of Washington's maritime enforcement campaign against Iran-linked shipping far beyond the Strait of Hormuz flashpoint.

In a statement posted overnight, the Department of War said U.S. forces conducted a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding" of the stateless tanker Tifani (IMO: 9273337) without incident inside the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.