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The Indian Coast Guard has seized three oil tankers that are believed to be part of Iran’s “shadow fleet.”
Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, a shadow fleet is a collection of oil tankers and other vessels that engage in deceptive and covert shipping practices to bypass international sanctions and continue transporting oil for countries under sanctions, like Russia and Iran. These ships often sail under flags of convenience, switch names and registrations, turn off tracking signals, and carry out ship-to-ship transfers in open waters to hide the origin and destination of their cargo, making enforcement by Western authorities extremely difficult.
What’s going on now: The Indian Coast Guard intercepted and seized three oil tankers in the Arabian Sea following what authorities described as a coordinated, “intelligence-driven” maritime operation. According to the Coast Guard, the action was the result of “tech-enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis,” which flagged the vessels for suspicious behavior consistent with illicit mid-sea oil transfers. The ships were subsequently boarded, inspected, and placed under escort to Mumbai for further legal proceedings. The vessels were later identified by maritime tracking analysts as Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star, and Al Jafzia.
Tracking firm TankerTrackers reported that all three tankers have been sanctioned by the United States in the past for allegedly transporting Iranian oil in violation of international sanctions, with Stellar Ruby operating under the Iranian flag. Indian officials noted that the ships were known to frequently change their identities and documentation, a practice consistent with shadow fleet operations.
As of now, Iran has not issued an official response directly addressing the seizure. Iranian media outlets have reported that the detained vessels are linked to Iran and were allegedly carrying smuggled oil, but neither Iranian authorities nor Indian officials have publicly confirmed ownership or cargo details.
