Bloomberg reports vessels sailing toward US ports for first time since 2023

Cargo ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Wednesday (local time). [Reuters]
Cargo ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Wednesday (local time). [Reuters]

Iranian oil tankers seized by the US military appear to be heading toward the United States, Bloomberg reported Friday (local time).

If the vessels actually dock at a US port, it would mark the first time since 2023 that Iranian crude has been brought directly to American shores.

According to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg, the tankers Tiffany and Majestic X, both carrying Iranian crude, have been sailing along the Brazilian coast over the past week.

The two vessels were seized by US forces in April during a maritime blockade operation targeting Iran and have since changed course multiple times.

Shipping data analytics firm TankerTrackers.com said the vessels' recent movements strongly suggest they are headed for a US port.

Homeland Security Investigations said in April, following the seizures, that US law enforcement was executing federal warrants to seize the sanctioned tankers and approximately 4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil they carried.

President Donald Trump, speaking at an event in Florida on May 1, referenced the Navy's seizure of the vessels and said, "We are like pirates. We took over the ships and confiscated all the cargo and oil."

The tanker Lenore, seized by US forces in the Indian Ocean in June, was also spotted rounding the Cape of Good Hope and sailing westward across the Atlantic, Bloomberg reported.

The Lenore is a supertanker capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of crude oil. Bloomberg estimated the total cargo value of the seized vessels — the Tiffany, Majestic X and Lenore — could reach as much as $600 million.

Federal prosecutors in Washington confirmed to Bloomberg that legal proceedings related to the vessels are ongoing, though they declined to comment on operational details.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com