US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean, Pentagon says
U.S. forces conducted an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina overnight in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command said on Friday.
Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s sea trade while Tehran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf.
U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel MT DAVINA located in the Indian Ocean within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) June 5, 2026
We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks… pic.twitter.com/7sNPNx0doN
“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Indo-Pacific Command wrote in an X post.
The Davina, a supertanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil, was placed under U.S. sanctions in October 2024 for Iranian oil trading, according to ship tracking data.
The vessel, also known as the Lenore, was last seen on June 5 off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed on Friday.
The vessel’s draft indicated that it was almost fully laden with an oil cargo, separate shipping data showed.
U.S. forces conducted a maritime interdiction of the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean on June 5, 2026. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to enforce a blockade on Iran's sea trade. The tanker, which has been under U.S. sanctions since October 2024 for trading Iranian oil, was last tracked near Sri Lanka.
- U.S. forces interdicted the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean.
- The tanker was sanctioned for Iranian oil trading since October 2024.
- The vessel was last tracked off Sri Lanka's southern coast.
- U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated they will continue to disrupt illicit networks supporting Iran.
- The Davina is capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil.