Three seized Iranian tankers carry $600 million in oil toward U.S. under prize law

September 28, 2026 at 04:29 AM2 min

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Three Iranian-linked tankers seized under a U.S. naval blockade are crossing the Atlantic toward the United States carrying nearly six million barrels of crude worth about $600 million. The vessels were boarded in the Indian Ocean in April and June and are now approaching the Americas. The U.S. plans to use prize law, an ancient maritime doctrine, to adjudicate the captured cargo.

Key Facts

The tankers Tifani and Majestic X were boarded in the Indian Ocean in April and are now off the coast of Brazil.
A third tanker, the Lenore (also known as Davina), was interdicted in the Indian Ocean in June and has cleared the Cape of Good Hope.
The three vessels are very large crude carriers with a combined capacity of six million barrels, valued at nearly $600 million at current Brent prices of about $106 per barrel.
The U.S. naval blockade targeting Iranian-linked vessels was initiated in April, briefly lifted during a summer ceasefire, and reimposed weeks later by President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, Aaron Reitz, said his office is ready to represent the U.S. in federal court to adjudicate the prizes.

The Seized Tankers

The Tifani and Majestic X were boarded in the Indian Ocean in April and are now off the coast of Brazil. The Lenore, also known as Davina, was interdicted in the Indian Ocean in June and has cleared the Cape of Good Hope, heading west into the Atlantic. All three are very large crude carriers, each capable of holding two million barrels of crude. Tanker Trackers posted on X that nearly six million barrels of seized Iranian crude, valued at nearly $600 million, are crossing the Atlantic toward the United States.

Prize Law

The legal channel used to seize the tankers is prize law, which has roots in the Middle Ages and does not require a warrant or a statutory violation. Under prize law, the Defense Department can seize an enemy vessel, unlike civil seizure laws that require law enforcement authorities such as the Coast Guard. In the U.S., prize law appears in the Constitution's Captures Clause and was used by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and most recently during the Spanish-American War. Aaron Reitz, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said his office is ready to represent the U.S. in adjudicating prizes brought to Texas through federal courts.

Blockade and Legal Process

The U.S. initiated its naval blockade in April, targeting ships attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports and Iran-linked vessels anywhere in the world. After a brief ceasefire lifted the blockade over the summer, President Trump reimposed it weeks later as he pivoted toward economic warfare. If the tankers reach a U.S. port, it would likely be along the Texas coast, home to top refiners and the Houston-based U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Reitz did not specify whether the Justice Department will invoke the Prize Act of 1812, the Captures Clause, or another law.