U.S. Navy Seizes Iranian Oil Tanker Amidst Ceasefire Uncertainty

The U.S. military seized an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, which the Pentagon described as a “sanctioned, stateless vessel.” American forces boarded the M/T Majestic X, according to a post on social platform X. The Pentagon also released footage showing troops stepping from helicopters. Officials justified the operation as a "right-of-visit" boarding and said the ship was transporting Iranian oil.

The U.S. action follows Iran's seizure of two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media published a video that it claimed showed the interception and seizure of two cargo ships. Footage released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards appears to show naval forces boarding a container ship, according to The Guardian.

President Trump claimed the U.S. has "total control over the strait of Hormuz," stating that no ship can enter or leave without U.S. Navy approval. Trump said the strait is “‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!" However, The Guardian reports that Trump's claim seemed questionable because of Iran's seizure of two container ships. The president said he ordered the Navy "to shoot and kill any boat" laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the U.S. is ramping up minesweeping in the strait, according to NPR.

The U.S. seizure of the oil tanker comes as peace talks with Iran remain uncertain. Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely on Tuesday, hours before it was set to expire. Iran dismissed Trump's ceasefire extension as meaningless, saying the continued U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports is a violation of the deal.

Brent crude oil traded at over $100 a barrel on Thursday as the impasse continued to disrupt shipping through the strait, according to NPR. The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of the world's crude oil and natural gas. Bloomberg reports that oil swung between gains and losses as the U.S. and Iran remained locked in a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, after plans to meet for a fresh round of peace talks failed.

Trump claimed Iran is having a hard time figuring out who their leader is, pointing to a rift between "hardliners" and "moderates." The New York Times cited senior Iranian officials who claim that Mojtaba Khamenei remains “mentally sharp and engaged," despite being seriously wounded in the initial joint attack.

China added an average of 1.1 million barrels a day of crude to its strategic oil inventories in 2025, which reached nearly 1.4 billion barrels in December, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Axios reports that China's stockpiling surged in 2025 due to relatively low oil prices, rising geopolitical risks, and a new domestic energy law.

Navy Secretary John Phelan was dismissed on Wednesday, according to NPR. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) called Phelan's dismissal "another example of the instability and dysfunction that have come to define the Department of Defense under President Trump and Secretary [Pete] Hegseth."

As tensions escalate, the International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol said the world was facing “the biggest energy security threat in history,” according to The Guardian.