US Forces Interdict Sanctioned Stateless Vessel in Indian Ocean
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has confirmed that US forces conducted an overnight interdiction of a sanctioned, stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean.
The vessel, identified as the M/T DAVINA, was stopped and inspected as part of ongoing maritime surveillance and sanctions enforcement operations by the US Indo-Pacific Command.
In a statement, the command affirmed its commitment to disrupting illicit networks, saying, “We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate.”
Washington has maintained a policy aimed at limiting Iran’s oil and sea trade through sanctions, which Tehran deems illegal and a violation of its sovereignty. The incident occurs amid heightened tensions between the two nations in the strategic sea lanes of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, where US forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in recent months.
