The US may act to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker heading across the Atlantic to Europe, CBS News reported. Two US officials confirmed to the broadcaster that American forces plan to intercept the ship, which has historically transported Venezuelan crude oil and is thought to be between Scotland and Iceland.
President Donald Trump recently expressed intentions to enforce a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a move the Venezuelan government condemned as theft. Trump accused the Venezuelan administration of utilizing ships for drug trafficking to American shores ahead of his controversial seizure of Nicolás Maduro, the country's former leader, over the weekend.
In a prior instance, US Coast Guard attempted to board the Bella 1 in the Caribbean, suspected of breaking US sanctions and transporting Iranian oil. After reflagging from a Guyanese vessel to a Russian one and changing its name to Marinera, the tanker is now reportedly en route to Europe. Its approach coincides with an increase in US military transport aircraft presence in the UK, heightening geopolitical tensions.
Despite international law granting protection to vessels based on their flag, experts argue that the maritime operation's legitimacy relies primarily on the ship's ownership and sanctions history rather than its flag or name. Russia has acknowledged the US military's intensified monitoring of the Marinera, describing it as excessively disproportionate attention, while asserting the vessel's compliance with international maritime law.
The potential standoff surrounding the oil tanker unfolds alongside recent significant US military actions in Venezuela, raising questions regarding the implications for international relations and commercial oil trade.
