· 39 comments · Save ·
News & Current Events Apr 21, 2026 at 1:32 PM

US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says

Posted by IntellectuallyDriven

US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says
AP News
US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says
U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia.
🚩 Report this post

39 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 +28
Under UNCLOS, in international waters, a military can only board a foreign vessel if: 1. The ship is stateless 2. There’s suspicion of piracy, slave trade, or unauthorized broadcasting 3. The vessel consents 4. A UN Security Council resolution authorizes it Oil sanctions alone are not automatically a boarding justification under UNCLOS. A ship is “stateless” if: * using fake registration * switching flags * or not recognized by its claimed flag state But the ship had a Botswana flag so… My point is they aren’t just boarding random ships in international waters linked to Iran, they targeted this ship because of a legal gray area in maritime law.
28
EquivalentOne241 Apr 21, 2026 +23
>CENTCOM - Overnight, US forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility". It was a stateless sanctioned tanker as per US CENTCOM. Stateless tankers are a fair game under UNCLOS.
23
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 -22
It wasn’t stateless because it had a Botswana flag. So it would have to be stateless by another categorical definition listed in my comment that the article did not mention.
-22
TapCat13 Apr 21, 2026 +10
They called Botswana, they said they never heard from that tub... \- A piece of cloth with a few colors isnt a free ride... just so you know
10
EquivalentOne241 Apr 21, 2026 +21
You have probably never heard of flag hopping, which is very common for sanctioned vessels.
21
Sleepergiant2586 Apr 21, 2026 +11
##Many Russian ships also use 'fake flags'. They register in Cyprus and use Cyprus flags. Those were also raided in Jan-Feb 2026. Having Botswana flag doesn't mean its legitimate.
11
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 -5
Oh you mean like a “False Flag”? 😉
-5
Chunk-of-Cheese Apr 21, 2026 +10
Who’s going to do something about it? Exactly.
10
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 +5
Well I am here highlighting the gap between headlines and reality. What are you doing?
5
Glum_Asparagus8286 Apr 21, 2026 +7
Sounds like they are reminding people that yes this is going to happen and no one is going to do a damn thing about it. Having rules with no enforcement is just a waste of effort. 
7
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 +4
I think you missed the point.
4
Better-Strategy8798 Apr 21, 2026 +4
what point did they miss? We understand what you were but i think the other person was just saying in general it doesnt matter what the US does, be it legal or illegal anymore. Thats all lol. So defending actions over legality is just irrelevant these days as it does not matter.
4
Glum_Asparagus8286 Apr 21, 2026 +4
Bingo 
4
Better-Strategy8798 Apr 21, 2026 +1
Yeah, i dont get why people even bother defending legality when it comes to US right now... for many many reasons both domestic and international. Its like 'so what? where have you been the past year?' lol
1
O_PLUTO_O Apr 21, 2026 +2
Yes because under maritime law this was justified. That’s what they explained
2
Glum_Asparagus8286 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Justified or not…no one is going to stop the US Navy. No one. 
2
O_PLUTO_O Apr 21, 2026 +3
No one would because this was a legal action
3
Twitchingbouse Apr 21, 2026
That's irrelevant, because whether it is or isn't, no one will stop it. That's the point. No one would stop the US navy.
0
Catch_022 Apr 21, 2026 -3
Nothing. However, this just strengthens China's hand as it highlights that the US is a powerful bully.
-3
[deleted] Apr 21, 2026 +1
[deleted]
1
1over-137 Apr 21, 2026 +1
The point is the article does not state *why* it was considered stateless.
1
TheDogFather Apr 21, 2026 -1
Pirates
-1
Strict_Werewolf_9395 Apr 21, 2026 -2
Iran was just the pretext and justification for the U.S. to take preemptive actions necessary for the coming war with China. The Straits of Hormuz and Malacca are strategic choke points on the Chinese economy. The U.S. military is now maintaining a presence in both places. We aren’t going into a war time economy, asking domestic manufacturers to switch to weapons production, and changing enlistment rules over Iran.
-2
humbleObserver Apr 21, 2026 +6
I don't think the US and China are going to war anytime soon
6
EgotisticalTL Apr 21, 2026
Thank God these weren't just innocent fishermen, or our government would have murdered their asses.
0
MooseTots Apr 22, 2026 +2
The drug smugglers should try smuggling oil so the US will be less trigger happy lol
2
Topsyye Apr 21, 2026 +1
Fisherman commonly fish with 4+ outboard motors and no fishing poles, it’s well known after all.
1
EgotisticalTL Apr 21, 2026 -1
Yes, and having those motors is an instantly executable offense! Go lick some more boots.
-1
Topsyye Apr 22, 2026 +2
Oh so now they weren’t fisherman…
2
EgotisticalTL Apr 22, 2026 -2
I never said that, though they may not have been. But please, keep desperately grasping at straws to justify murder. Trump's boots needs more tongues at America's expense.
-2
MooseTots Apr 22, 2026 +3
Is this “justification of murder” in the room with us? They are just notifying you that they are not fishermen. They made no claim about what should be done to them.
3
EgotisticalTL Apr 22, 2026 -1
Oh please, you're just as pathetic.
-1
MooseTots Apr 22, 2026 +1
At least I don’t debate by spreading misinformation
1
EgotisticalTL Apr 22, 2026 -1
What misinformation? Tell me how the fact that they had more than one motor proves that they were not fishermen - Even though that makes no difference whatsoever to the fact that they were murdered by the Trump administration - and therefore deserved summary execution, and that Trump is right for committing war crimes, while you pathetically split hairs to lick boots.
-1
MooseTots Apr 22, 2026 +1
You are the one who has mentioned justification at all. If you had the balls to ask I’d tell you that the US striking a civilian drug smuggling boat is indeed a war crime. Smuggling drugs to sell to voluntary buyers is far from justification for the use of lethal force. The moral and legal way to apprehend the boats smuggling drugs is for the coast guard to capture them. Then they can be tried in a US court instead of just being dead. Learn to have a conversation without shoving words in people’s mouths. You can alway ask for clarification so you don’t look arrogant.
1
Topsyye Apr 22, 2026
Haha it’s too classic, as soon as you get pushed on your claims (misinformation) you just resort to insults only. Maybe it’s projection?
0
EgotisticalTL Apr 22, 2026 -1
The point, as you know very well, is that no matter how many motors they have, whether they were fishermen or not (and motors are no proof that they are not) blowing them up without proof of any wrongdoing is unjustifiable murder and a war crime. Our proud military is supposed to defend us, not be indiscriminate executioners for the sake of a draft-dodging warlord wanna-be. There is no reason those boats could not have been stopped and boarded if any proof of any wrongdoing existed. Why do you think the admiral of that region resigned? But please, keep licking those fascist boots. 
-1
Topsyye Apr 22, 2026
You claimed they were fisherman when they were not. Thats all I clarified for you. Keep digging deeper into claims I never made though. Your eloquent prose makes you seem rational and levelheaded.
0
Topsyye Apr 22, 2026 +1
You did say that exactly actually, but you can keep insulting me if it makes you feel better about your bubble.
1
← Back to Board