The US military conducted a precision strike on the Marivex tanker on Monday as it attempted to sail from the Gulf of Oman toward Iran. According to the US Central Command, an American fighter jet fired a precision munition into the tanker's engineering and steering spaces. The vessel was falsely flagged to Madagascar and owned by Palau-based Arihant Shipping Inc., with a deadweight capacity of approximately 12,800 tons. As reported by Bloomberg, ship-tracking data showed the vessel had recently delivered cargo believed to have been loaded from the Iranian port of Shahid Rajaee to Mangalore and Karwar in India.
The tanker was crewed by 24 Indian nationals and all crew members were successfully rescued following the incident. India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that there was some exchange of communication between the ship and the US Navy before the incident. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the Indian Embassy contacted Omani authorities for the rescue mission, who swung into action. India thanked the Omani government for its excellent support in rescuing the crew and ensuring their safety.
The strike represents part of the US's broader enforcement of a blockade of ships sailing to and from Iranian ports since mid-April. According to the Central Command, American forces have disabled seven non-compliant vessels and redirected 134 ships during this period. The blockade line runs from the easternmost tip of Oman to the Iran-Pakistan border, where US warships are stationed. As reported by Bloomberg, the vessel had turned twice while sailing northeast along the Omani coast toward the blockade line, attempting to sail past the American blockade.
Iran exported 14 million tons of fuel oil last year, with most shipments going to the United Arab Emirates, according to Kpler data. The country also delivered 734,000 tons of bitumen asphalt, with nearly two-thirds of those volumes heading to China and India. The Marivex had recently delivered cargo believed to have been loaded from the Iranian port of Shahid Rajaee to Mangalore and Karwar in India, as tracked by ship-tracking data from Kpler. The US Treasury Department had previously sanctioned the vessel under its previous name Arihant for transporting Iranian fuel oil and bitumen.
