US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says

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US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says

2026-04-21 22:41 Last Updated At：22:50

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as it puts into place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran.

U.S. forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident,” the Pentagon said on social media.

The Tifani was captured in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia — and was carrying Iranian oil, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation. The U.S. military will decide in the next four days what to do with the vessel, such as tow it back to the U.S. or turn it over to another country, the official said.

It's the latest move in the U.S. war on Iran to stop any ship tied to Tehran or those suspected of carrying supplies that could help its government, from weapons and oil to metals and electronics. The announcement comes ahead of the expiration of an already tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, and as Pakistan attempts to broker talks between Washington and Tehran.

It is the second vessel linked to Iran that has been interdicted by the U.S. military. The U.S. Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship Sunday that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports, with President Donald Trump saying an American destroyer blew a hole in the ship’s engine room.

The Pentagon on social media described the Tifani as “stateless” despite it being a Botswana-flagged vessel.

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate,” the Pentagon announcement said, echoing previous statements from Trump administration officials. “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that the enforcement actions would extend beyond Iranian waters and the area under control of U.S. Central Command.

U.S. forces in other areas of responsibility, he told reporters at the Pentagon, “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.” He specifically pointed to operations in the Pacific and said the U.S. would target vessels that left before the blockade began outside the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for energy and other shipments.

The military also detailed an expansive list of goods that it considers contraband, declaring that it will board, search and seize them from merchant vessels “regardless of location.” A notice published Thursday says any “goods that are destined for an enemy and that may be susceptible to use in armed conflict” are “subject to capture at any place beyond neutral territory.”

The U.S. military’s actions against Iranian-linked vessels, namely the attack over the weekend on the cargo ship named the Touska, have raised questions about the two-week ceasefire.

The U.S. and Iran are operating in “an awkward space where the law doesn’t give you a clean yes-or-no answer” on whether the ceasefire was violated, said Jason Chuah, a law professor at the City University of London and the Maritime Institute of Malaysia.

“The United States seems to take the line that the conflict never fully switched off — that is there is still a state of armed conflict,” Chuah said. “By saying that, it can keep doing things like enforcing a blockade and even using limited force at sea.”

But Iran is treating the ceasefire as a pause on all hostile acts, Chuah said. Iran’s joint military command has called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a violation of the ceasefire.

The U.S. earlier had instituted a blockade against sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela but had never fired on those vessels.

Blockades and even limited attacks on vessels can be lawful in wartime, with merchant vessels becoming legitimate targets if they contribute to military actions, carry contraband or are incorporated into enemy logistics, Chuah said.

It's harder to prove that a ship such as the Touska is realistically contributing to military action against the U.S., Chuah said.

“The whole dispute really turns on a deceptively simple question: Did the ceasefire actually suspend the right to use force?” Chuah said. “If it did, then firing on vessels or seizing them is very hard to square with the United Nations Charter.”

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior defense adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said a violation is up for interpretation because there were no defined terms.

“Trump announced it. The Iranians agreed. But there’s no formal agreement,” Cancian said. “So whether it broke the ceasefire or not depends on your perspective. ... Nothing was written down.”

Michael O’Hanlon, a defense and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution, said the U.S. did not violate the ceasefire because it was limited to bombing Iran, not the blockade.

“We agreed to stop dropping bombs on them, and that’s the basic thing they wanted,” O’Hanlon said, adding that the U.S. still had to enforce the blockade “if you’re going to make it mean anything.”

NBA postseason guide: Schedule, stories, betting odds, how to watch and more

There was a 14-point comeback win by Atlanta in New York, and a 19-point comeback win by Minnesota in Denver.

And it's unanimous: Victor Wembanyama is pretty good at defense.

Monday had some drama, and the NBA playoffs already seem to be in full swing. Through the first three days, three lower-seeded teams have already stolen home-court advantage away — Orlando did it in Detroit on Sunday, and then the Hawks and Timberwolves did the same on Monday.

Tuesday's schedule features three games: Philadelphia at Boston, Portland at San Antonio — where Wembanyama will be announced as Defensive Player of the Year for the first time — and Houston at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics, Spurs and Lakers all lead those series 1-0.

— Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105 to take 2-0 series lead. Cleveland's Big 3 scores 83.

— Hawks 107, Knicks 106 to tie series 1-1. CJ McCollum got the last word at MSG.

— Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114 to tie series 1-1. Jaden McDaniels had thoughts.

— Warriors bracing for Kerr's possible departure

— NBA individual awards finalists are announced

— Some news and notes going into the postseason

— Playoff preview: Thunder seeking another title

— Heat equipment manager needs organ transplants

— Natalie Sago the 3rd female ref picked for playoffs

— The view from Vegas says the West is the best

Awards season in the NBA started Monday with some history — At 22, San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama is the youngest Defensive Player of the Year, and the first to win the award in a unanimous vote.

The finalists were unveiled Sunday night, led by the top three in the MVP voting — reigning winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City, three-time winner Nikola Jokic of Denver and Wembanyama, a first-time finalist.

The schedule for announcements:

— Tuesday, Clutch Player (6 p.m. EDT, Peacock/NBCSN). Finalists: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City; Jamal Murray, Denver.

— Wednesday, Sixth Man (6 p.m. EDT, ESPN). Finalists: Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver; Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami; Keldon Johnson, San Antonio.

— Thursday, Sportsmanship Award (Noon EDT, https://x.com/NBAPR).

— Friday, Most Improved Player (6:30 p.m. EDT, Prime). Finalists: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta; Deni Avdija, Portland; Jalen Duren, Detroit.

And the announcements that won’t be until next week, at the earliest:

— MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City; Nikola Jokic, Denver; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio.

— Coach of the Year: J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit; Mitch Johnson, San Antonio; Joe Mazzulla, Boston.

— Rookie of the Year: VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia; Cooper Flagg, Dallas; Kon Knueppel, Charlotte.

7 p.m. EDT — Game 2, Philadelphia at Boston (Peacock/NBCSN)

8 p.m. EDT — Game 2, Portland at San Antonio (NBC/Peacock)

10:30 p.m. EDT — Game 2, Houston at LA Lakers (NBC/Peacock)

7 p.m. EDT — Game 2, Orlando at Detroit (ESPN)

9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 2, Phoenix at Oklahoma City (ESPN)

7 p.m. EDT — Game 3, New York at Atlanta (Prime Video)

8 p.m. EDT — Game 3, Cleveland at Toronto (Prime Video)

9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 3, Denver at Minnesota (Prime Video)

Defending champion Oklahoma City (+110) is favored to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+475), Boston (+600), Denver (+1200), Cleveland (+1400), Detroit (+2200) and New York (+3000).

— May 2, 3 or 4: Conference semifinals begin.

— May 10: NBA draft lottery.

— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.

— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.

— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.

— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft

— “It felt like that was it. It really felt like that was it. Is it? I don’t know. Like I said, I hope not. But for some reason, it just felt like that was it. And man, if it was, what a run it’s been.” — Draymond Green, speaking on the future of Golden State coach Steve Kerr, on “The Draymond Green Show.”

— "I ain't no villain.” — Hawks guard CJ McCollum, after fans in New York booed him throughout Game 2 of Atlanta's win in that series.

— Over the last 30 years, Denver is 34-2 in playoff games where it has built a lead of 18 or more points. The two losses are both against Minnesota — and both at home, too. The Wolves rallied from 20 down to win Game 7 of the West semifinals in 2024, then rallied from 19 down on Monday.

— Speaking of Wolves-Nuggets, the teams have gone 15-15 against one another in their last 30 games. Average score of those games: Wolves 113, Nuggets 111.

— Jamal Murray made a 51-foot 3-pointer for Denver on Monday night. It was the longest make in a playoff game since ... Jamal Murray made a 55-footer in 2024.

— Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell has scored 30 or more points in each of his last three playoff games, going back to last season. That's the longest-active streak among players in these playoffs.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba