India has seized three oil tanker vessels linked to Iran that were under U.S. sanctions this month and significantly boosted surveillance in its maritime zones, authorities said, in a move aimed at curbing illicit oil trade in its waters.
The tankers — identified as Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia — were intercepted roughly 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after Indian enforcement agencies detected suspicious ship-to-ship transfer activity within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Officials said the tankers had frequently changed identities and operational details to evade detection.
The move comes amid closer diplomatic and trade ties between India and the United States, following Washington’s recent decision to reduce import tariffs on Indian goods as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation and urge New Delhi to curb purchases of Russian oil.
To tighten monitoring, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed more than 50 ships and over a dozen aircraft to maintain around-the-clock surveillance across key maritime zones. The intensified oversight is meant to prevent Indian waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that mask the origin of oil cargoes and facilitate sanction evasion.
Two of the detained vessels are directly linked with Iran — with Al Jafzia known to have carried Iranian fuel oil to Djibouti in 2025, and Stellar Ruby previously flagged in Iran — while Asphalt Star has operated largely on voyages linked to China.
Officials say the operation underscores India’s commitment to enforcing international sanctions and maintaining maritime security, even as it balances broader energy and diplomatic interests in a complex geopolitical landscape.