Mumbai, India. India has seized three US-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran this month and increased surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source said on Monday. The source confirmed a February post on X by Indian authorities that was later deleted.
Seizures and investigation
India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, the source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The three sanctioned vessels—Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia—frequently changed their identities to evade law enforcement by coastal states, the source said, adding that their owners were based overseas.
Interception near Mumbai
Indian authorities said in a post on X on February 6 that they intercepted three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after detecting suspicious activity involving a tanker in India’s exclusive economic zone.
The post was later deleted, but the source said the vessels were escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.
Surveillance deployment
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed about 55 ships and between 10 and 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance in its maritime zones, according to the source.
Links to US sanctions and Iranian response
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control said last year it had sanctioned three vessels—Global Peace, Chil 1, and Glory Star 1—with IMO numbers identical to the ships captured by India.
Iranian state media cited the National Iranian Oil Company as saying the three tankers seized by India had no connection to the company, and that neither the cargoes nor the vessels were linked to it.
US-India relations and tanker data
The seizures and heightened surveillance follow an improvement in US-India relations. Washington earlier this month announced it will cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, after New Delhi agreed to stop Russian oil imports.
Two of the three tankers are linked to Iran, with Al Jafzia having carried fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025 and Stellar Ruby flagged in Iran, according to LSEG data.
How do you think India’s expanded surveillance will affect ship-to-ship oil transfers in the region?