US Revives Century-Old Law to Seize Iranian Oil Tankers

The US Justice Department is reviving an ancient law to claim Iranian oil tankers seized during the war with Iran. The law, known as prize law, has not been used regularly since the Spanish-American War.

According to Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Texas, 'Our national security interests may require the United States military to seize vessels or cargo supporting the enemy during military conflict.' He added that 'prize law is an ancient body of maritime law, already codified in statute but which we are now reviving, that sets the rules for how seized maritime property is condemned, returned, or disposed of.'

Maritime law experts warn that the plan could face hurdles. Michael Sturley, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said that 'you go back to the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, prize courts were huge.' He noted that in previous iterations, the prize would be split between the government and the captains and crews who operated the boat that seized the belligerent vessel.

Another challenge is physically bringing the vessels to a U.S. port. Thomas Lee, an international law professor at Fordham University School of Law, said that 'the whole premise of the prize jurisdiction was that you actually had the ship and the cargo physically present in the jurisdiction of the court that condemned it as enemy property.'

The plan is the third time the Trump administration has attempted to use a dormant or defunct mechanism to expedite its priorities. If successful, the court could award the U.S. the prize of oil or other cargo aboard seized Iran-linked ships.