US forces boarded and seized the supertanker M/T Davina in the Indian Ocean on June 4-5, hauling in a vessel carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. The Department of Justice announced the operation, describing the tanker as part of Iran’s so-called “ghost fleet,” a network of vessels used to evade international sanctions and funnel oil revenue back to Tehran.
The seizure was carried out by the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and represents one of the largest maritime interdictions in the ongoing campaign to choke off Iran’s illicit oil exports.
What we know about the M/T Davina
The M/T Davina, also known as the Lenore, is a stateless supertanker with a capacity of up to 2 million barrels. The US Treasury first sanctioned the vessel back in October 2024 for its role in transporting Iranian crude, primarily to buyers in China.
At the time of the seizure, the tanker was carrying crude loaded from Iran’s Kharg Island in March 2026.
