On May 20, US military forces briefly boarded the Iranian-linked oil tanker Celestial Sea in the Gulf of Oman after suspecting the vessel of attempting to violate US sanctions enforcement measures against Iranian oil trade.
According to US officials, the tanker was transiting the Gulf of Oman while broadcasting Khor Fakkan, UAE, as its destination through its AIS tracking system. American forces reportedly suspected the declared destination was inaccurate and decided to intercept the vessel for inspection.
The boarding operation was carried out by US Marines deployed from a helicopter. Following a search of the tanker, the crew was instructed to alter course before the vessel was later released to continue its voyage.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the incident marks another enforcement action linked to the ongoing sanctions blockade, bringing the total number of redirected vessels since the operation began to 91 ships.
The tanker Celestial Sea is believed to be part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet”, used to transport sanctioned oil outside traditional monitoring systems.
Non-governmental organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) reported that the vessel was blacklisted in 2023 while operating under the name Harmony.
The tanker was built in 2007 and is currently listed as owned by Arura. The vessel measures 123.27 meters in length, 19.4 meters in width, and has a gross tonnage of 6,601 GT.
