US Eyes Revival of 'Prize Courts' to Seize Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Economic Warfare
The US Department of Justice is considering reviving an obscure maritime law framework known as 'Prize Courts' to seize Iranian oil tankers and their cargo.
According to Bloomberg, this move would allow US authorities to bypass lengthy procedures for modern civil forfeiture and confiscate sanctioned vessels with unprecedented speed during hostilities.
Aaron Reitz, a Houston-based attorney collaborating with the DOJ, stated that national security imperatives may soon require the US military to directly intercept vessels or cargo aiding adversarial states.
However, legal experts warn that dusting off this statute from the 19th century presents formidable modern challenges due to the vast evolution of international maritime law and laws of armed conflict since the Spanish-American War of 1898.