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U.S. forces boarded another “stateless” vessel linked to Iran, the U.S. military said Thursday. The tanker was interdicted in the Indian Ocean \u2014 far from the hotly contested Strait of Hormuz \u2014 in the latest seizure that is part of a tit-for-tat series of commercial vessel interdictions by U.S. and Iranian forces.<\/p>\n
“Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M\/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean,” the Defense Department said on social media.<\/p>\n
“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the military added.<\/p>\n
Video shared by the military appeared to show the interdiction, with U.S. forces descending from a helicopter and walking on board a massive tanker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The operation came after Tehran’s forces seized two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. A day before that, the\u00a0Pentagon said<\/span>\u00a0U.S. forces had interdicted the Iran-linked “stateless sanctioned M\/T Tifani” crude oil tanker in the Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Indian Ocean. \u00a0<\/p>\n A Philippine government agency said Thursday that 15 Filipino seafarers onboard two container ships currently being held by Iran were “safe and unharmed” and “their families have been informed and are receiving government support.” The statement was the first confirmation from a non-Iranian entity that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces had seized the two ships in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n \u00a0The country’s Department of Migrant Workers said that 10 Filipinos were onboard the Epaminondas, and five on the MSC Francesca \u2014 the two ships the IRGC said it seized Wednesday for breaching its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n “The ships are currently in the vicinity of the Iranian coastline,” the statement added.<\/p>\n The IRGC posted video Wednesday apparently showing masked fighters speeding toward the MSC-Francesca in a gun boat and climb a ladder up its hull. \u00a0The video then shows another so-called “fast-boat” laden with soldiers approaching the cargo ship Epaminodes, followed by clips of IRGC fighters on board a ship, opening a door and walking up stairs with rifles, although it is unclear which vessel they are on.<\/p>\n The tit-for-tat comes as Iran has refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire President Trump extended indefinitely this week. Iran has called the U.S. Naval blockade of its ports and Iranian-linked ships a violation of the agreement.<\/p>\n