Tankers of Iranian oil that were seized by US are in Atlantic, tracker shows

Three Iran-linked oil tankers seized by the United States and carrying nearly six million barrels of Iranian crude oil were in the Atlantic Ocean today, tracking data indicates.

They did not have their destination marked on their transponders, but specialist website TankerTrackers said yesterday on X that they were heading toward the United States.

“Nearly six million barrels (valued at nearly $600 million) of seized Iranian crude oil are quietly crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards the United States of America,” the post says.

One of the tankers, the Majestic X, briefly listed the US as its destination from July 31 to August 2, as it began heading toward the Atlantic from waters off Malaysia, according to tracking data from maritime platform Kpler.

The three tankers are sanctioned by the United States under programs aimed at limiting Iran’s oil exports.

They were seized after the US started a blockade of Iranian ports in retaliation for Iran’s obstruction of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil exports from Gulf countries, after the start of the Iran war.

Two of the tankers, the Majestic X and the Tifani, are currently off Brazil’s northern coast, Kpler data shows.

Both vessels were seized by the US in April after loading oil in Iran, according to Kpler.

The US Department of War described the seizures as an effort to “disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran,” in X posts in April.