India’s coast guard said it has seized three oil tankers in the Arabian Sea as part of what it described as a coordinated operation against an international oil-smuggling network, while tanker-tracking analysts and Iranian media said the vessels were linked to Iran.
In a statement posted on social media, the Indian Coast Guard said it intercepted three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on Friday after what it called “tech-enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis.”
“The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict-ridden regions to motor tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states,” the coast guard said.
It added that sustained inspections, electronic data checks and crew questioning had revealed the network’s methods and links to what it described as a “global handler network,” and said the vessels were being escorted to Mumbai for further legal action.
The coast guard statement did not mention Iran, the ownership of the vessels, or any sanctions violations.
However, tanker tracking firm TankerTrackers said it had identified the three vessels as AL JAFZIA, ASPHALT STAR and STELLAR RUBY, adding that the ships were under US sanctions. TankerTrackers said STELLAR RUBY was operating under the Iranian flag.
Iranian media separately reported that the three seized tankers were linked to Iran and were detained for alleged oil smuggling, saying the vessels had been sanctioned by the United States in 2025.
The Indian Coast Guard said the vessels were known for frequently changing their identities and said the operation proved India’s role as “a net provider of maritime security and guardian of the rules-based international order.”
Washington has accused Iran of using a so-called shadow fleet of tankers to evade US oil sanctions.
Neither Indian authorities nor Iranian officials have publicly commented on the reports linking the seized vessels to Iran.
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