Report: U.S. Navy Has Seized Third Iranian Shadow Fleet Tanker
The Wall Street Journal, in an exclusive report, is saying U.S. forces overnight seized an Iran-linked oil tanker while it was crossing the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon and U.S. commanders have not commented on the report, which was released by the newspaper on Tuesday afternoon.
The tanker is being identified as the Skywave (302,481 dwt), a shadow fleet tanker operating under a false flag. Built in 2005, the vessel is listed by Equasis as sold in March 2025 to an unidentified buyer. The reported sale coincides with the United States imposing sanctions on the tanker, then known as Blue Gulf. OFAC imposed sanctions on United Tankers (Marshall Islands) and Lake View Ship Management Private Limited (India) on March 31, 2025, for their involvement in the Iranian oil trade.
The U.S. at the time reported the tanker was registered in Palau. Equasis currently lists its registry as Comoros, a false flag, while other databases report the ship is now sailing under the flag of Botswana.
The tanker reportedly loaded Iranian oil in February at Kharg Island, according to the report by The Wall Street Journal, and headed east. Its current AIS signal shows the vessel went to Qingdao, China, and is currently bound for Khor Fakkan, Iran. The Wall Street Journal was unable to confirm that the vessel had offloaded, but also notes it was in an area notorious for ship-to-ship transfers.
The tanker had transited the Malacca Strait with reports that the U.S. was tracking the vessel. The Wall Street Journal says it was boarded overnight while it was halfway between Malaysia and Sri Lanka. A confirmation has not yet been issued by the United States.
CENTCOM forces continue total enforcement of the U.S. blockade against Iran, stopping the flow of commerce into and out of Iranian ports. 89 commercial vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance. pic.twitter.com/0MWwUvkDgS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 19, 2026
(CENTCOM's video of vessel redirection efforts)
The seizure would come as the Trump administration was moving to further tighten the economic campaign against Iran. CENTCOM reported today redirecting yet another vessel, bringing the total to 89, and posted a video of its actions.
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The U.S. in April had stopped two other tankers, Majestic X and Tifani, both also in the Indian Ocean. They were also reported to be operating under false flags and linked to the Iranian oil trade. The U.S. Department of Justice reportedly has filed in the courts for a forfeiture of the tankers.
DOJ and OFAC also announced today sanctioning an additional 19 tankers associated with the Iranian oil trade. It is part of a campaign it calls “Economic Furry.”
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