India Intercepts 3 Iran-Linked Sanctioned Ships Off Mumbai Coast: Report

New Delhi: This month, India has seized three oil tankers that were banned by the US and that are said to be linked to Iran. A source told this to Reuters, who has direct knowledge of the matter. But Iran's National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has clearly denied that these tankers or their cargo have anything to do with the company.

Which three tankers have been captured?

These three ships are – Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia. According to the source, these ships often changed their names and identities to avoid coastal law enforcement. Their owners are foreigners. LSEG shipping data shows two of these are linked to Iran – the Al Jafzia carried fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025, and the Stellar Ruby was Iran-flagged. Asphalt Star mostly operated on routes around China.

Where and how did this seizure take place?

On February 6, Indian authorities posted on Twitter (which was later deleted) that suspicious activity had been observed about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai. The three ships were intercepted in India's Exclusive Economic Zone. Later they were brought to Mumbai for investigation. All this was done to stop ship-to-ship transfers, which are used to dodge sanctions and hide the true location of oil.

Why has India increased maritime surveillance?

After the seizure, the Indian Coast Guard has further tightened its surveillance. Now 24-hour monitoring is being done in India's maritime areas – about 55 ships and 10-12 aircraft have been deployed. The objective is clear – there should be no illegal trade or sanction-breaking activities in our waters.

What is the connection with America's sanctions?

Last year, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had imposed sanctions on three ships – Global Peace, Chil 1 and Glory Star 1 – whose IMO numbers now match those of the seized ships. These are part of the "shadow fleet" where Iranian sanctioned oil is sold at a discount through mid-sea transfers, fraudulent paperwork and layered ownership.

How is all this connected to US-India relations?

This incident has happened at a time when India-America relations are strengthening. This month itself, Washington had reduced the import tariff on Indian goods from 50% to 18%, in return India had agreed to stop Russian oil imports. So it seems that India is now becoming more strict regarding sanctions.

There is denial from Iran's side, but India's stand is clear – no disturbance will happen in our waters! Let's see what comes out in further investigation.