US-Blocked Iranian Oil Tankers Head Towards American Shores

A recent update from tanker tracking platform TankerTrackers reveals that three US-seized tankers carrying Iranian oil are making their way across the Atlantic Ocean towards the United States. The tankers, which include the Majestic X and the Tifani, were seized by the US in April after loading oil in Iran under programmes aimed at limiting Iran's oil exports.

The three tankers carry nearly six million barrels of crude oil, valued at approximately $600 million, according to TankerTrackers. The vessel's transponders initially listed China and Singapore as their destinations before being corrected to reflect the US as their intended destination. Two of the tankers are currently off Brazil's northern coast, while the third tanker crossed into the Atlantic via Cape Horn off South Africa on Tuesday.

The seizures were part of a US Department of War effort to 'disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran', according to X posts in April. The move comes after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil exports from Gulf countries, following US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.