US Seeks Forfeiture of Seized Oil Tankers Linked to Iran

By Charles Gorrivan

Apr 30, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The US is seeking forfeiture of two Iran-linked oil tankers seized by naval forces enforcing a blockade against the Islamic Republic, according to a senior administration official.

The US Department of Justice has initiated the forfeiture process, the official said, without elaborating on what that entails or whether it signals an intent to seize the crude on board. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, declined to detail what will ultimately happen to the vessels or comment on their current routes, citing operational security.

US forces boarded the vessels Tifani and Phonix