India seizes three Iran-linked, US-sanctioned tankers

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 17, 2026: India has reportedly seized three US-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran this month and intensified maritime surveillance to curb illegal trade, according to reports.

Reuters, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter, said the seizures and stepped-up monitoring follow recent developments in US–India relations. Earlier this month, Washington announced it would reduce import tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the previously proposed 50 per cent, after claiming New Delhi had agreed to halt Russian oil imports.

India is seeking to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the true origin of oil cargoes, the source told the publication.

The three sanctioned vessels—Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia—frequently changed their identities to evade coastal state authorities, the source added, noting that their owners were based overseas.

Iranian state media quoted the National Iranian Oil Company as saying the seized tankers had no connection to the company, asserting that neither the vessels nor their cargoes were linked to it.

On February 6, authorities said in a post on X that they had intercepted three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after detecting suspicious activity involving a tanker in India’s exclusive economic zone. Although the post was later deleted, the source confirmed that the vessels were escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.

The Indian Coast Guard has since deployed around 55 ships and 10 to 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance across its maritime zones, the source said.

Last year, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three vessels—Global Peace, Chil 1 and Glory Star 1—with IMO numbers identical to those of the ships recently seized.

According to LSEG data, two of the three tankers are linked to Iran, with Al Jafzia having transported fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025 and Stellar Ruby flagged in Iran. Asphalt Star, meanwhile, primarily operated on routes around China.

Sanctioned oil and fuel are often sold at steep discounts due to the risks involved, with intermediaries using complex ownership structures, falsified documentation and mid-sea transfers to complicate enforcement.