US Says It Boarded Oil Tanker, First During Iranian Blockade

The US government said it stopped and boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in its campaign to disrupt Iran’s shipping network, the first such intervention since the imposition of a blockade just over a week ago.

American forces conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” of the stateless vessel — the M/T Tifani — the Pentagon said in a social media post. It marks an escalation of tactics as Washington pressures the Islamic Republic ahead of planned talks aimed at ending a seven-week conflict that has roiled global markets.