U.S. Forces boarded the stateless oil tanker M/T Tifani in the Indo-Pacific Command area on April 21, 2026, without incident, according to a Pentagon announcement on X.
The vessel, described as sanctioned and without a flag, was interdicted during a right-of-visit maritime operation, U.S. Officials said.
Iran condemned the boarding as “maritime piracy” and demanded a firm UN resolution in response, state media reported.
The move comes amid heightened tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran insists it will never relinquish authority over maritime passage.
Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ebrahim Azizi told the BBC in Tehran that Iran views the strait as an inalienable right and a strategic asset for deterrence following the war.
Azizi said Iran will present a parliamentary bill based on Article 110 of its constitution to enshrine control of the strait into law, covering environment, maritime security, and national defense.
He added that Iran sees control of the strait not just as a bargaining chip but as a long-term tool of pressure, especially after using it as a weapon during the conflict.
According to El País, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — combined with a U.S.-led restriction 500 kilometers to the east in the Gulf of Oman — has slashed daily traffic from 120–150 vessels to about ten.
Around 2,000 ships with their crews remain trapped in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf due to the near-paralysis of commercial shipping.
Neither blockade constitutes a full closure, but the risk of military action at either point has deterred most shipping given the high value of vessels and cargo.
Iran justifies its restrictions under UNCLOS provisions for armed conflict, claiming it allows passage only for vessels not linked to adversarial states, while requiring ships to employ a narrow corridor near Qeshm and Larak islands.
The United States, which has not ratified UNCLOS, enforces its own interdiction zone further east, creating a dual-pressure system on maritime traffic.
Tehran maintains it is open to dialogue on how others might benefit from its new maritime framework, but stresses that control over the strait remains non-negotiable.
Why did the U.S. Board the M/T Tifani?
U.S. Forces conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction on the stateless, sanctioned vessel M/T Tifani as part of efforts to enforce sanctions and disrupt illicit networks linked to Iran.
What is Iran’s position on control of the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran insists it will never relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an inalienable right and a strategic asset for deterrence, and plans to enshrine this control in national law via a parliamentary bill based on Article 110 of its constitution.
How has the dual blockade affected shipping in the region?
Daily transits through the Strait of Hormuz have dropped from 120–150 vessels to about ten, with approximately 2,000 ships and crews trapped in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf due to deterrence from the risk of force at either blockade point.