A cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Strait of Hormuz, causing numerous brand-new iPhones to float on the sea surface. Why did the vessel mistakenly enter a dangerous waterway? How great were the losses?

Ironically, the 'shadow fleet' was originally established by countries such as Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to circumvent U.S. sanctions and blockades. Shadow fleets acquire aging oil tankers and conceal their actual controllers by frequently changing ship registries, names, and ownership information. While at sea, they disable or falsify their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals; after crossing U.S.-imposed blockade lines, they conduct Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfers—offloading cargo onto compliant vessels for onward export. This time, however, the United States itself has resorted to using a shadow fleet to break through the Strait of Hormuz blockade. According to reports from Bloomberg and others, the current U.S.-led transportation operation through the Strait of Hormuz involves small tankers undertaking high-risk voyages into and out of the Persian Gulf to load oil. After transiting the Strait of Hormuz, these vessels conduct STS transfers near Fujairah or Sohar in the Gulf of Oman, where larger tankers take over the cargo. Most transits through the Strait of Hormuz occur at night, as nighttime passage reduces the probability of visual and electro-optical detection.

Within less than 24 hours, the U.S. seized its third tanker—but encountered stiff resistance, triggering a maritime chase.

On December 10, the U.S. first seized the tanker Skipper, which was carrying Venezuelan crude oil; both the vessel and its cargo were under U.S. sanctions. In the early hours of December 20, the second vessel—the Panama-flagged Centuries—was intercepted and boarded for inspection, with no resistance offered. By December 21, the third vessel—the Panama-flagged Bella 1—was targeted while en route to load oil in Venezuela. It refused to approach U.S. vessels or submit to boarding, initiating evasive maneuvers offshore. The Bella 1 case is the most complex. Since 2024, this vessel has been listed on the U.S. sanctions list. U.S. authorities allege it previously transported Iranian crude oil and maintained ties with Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Late on December 20, U.S. forces attempted to close in but failed. On December 21, during daylight hours, the vessel headed northeast toward the Atlantic Ocean and transmitted multiple distress signals—media tallied over seventy such transmissions. As of the evening of December 21: Reuters reported that U.S. forces had not successfully boarded the vessel, whereas Bloomberg claimed boarding had occurred—creating conflicting accounts; the operation remained ongoing. An anonymous U.S. official stated the vessel was suspected of flying a false flag and that U.S. authorities held a judicial seizure order. No casualties have been reported—a point all involved parties have emphasized. The legal complications surrounding the Centuries are more pronounced. Although this vessel was not on the U.S. sanctions list, it carried approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil destined for Asian markets—tracking agencies identified Chinese buyers as the likely recipients. U.S. authorities claim they obtained Panama’s permission to board and inspect the vessel. Panama has yet to issue an official public response. U.S. law enforcement officials internally debated invoking so-called 'right-of-access' provisions, citing suspicion of illegal activity. During the interception, the vessel’s crew cooperated fully, with no standoff occurring—this marks the key distinction between this case and that of the Bella 1. Returning to the first seizure: When the Skipper was detained on December 10, it was carrying roughly 1.8–1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, valued at nearly $95 million at prevailing market prices. Venezuela’s government strongly condemned the action. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez labeled it 'serious piracy'—a statement that stirred significant debate across Latin American media and amplified scrutiny of every subsequent move involving such vessels. Domestically, U.S. officials stressed the operation’s aim of countering illicit oil shipments that finance regional narcotics trafficking and terrorism. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated, between December 20 and 21, that the Coast Guard would act before dawn and continue pursuing black-market oil flows funding regional narcoterrorism. Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council, said in a televised interview that these vessels serve black markets and would not significantly raise U.S. fuel prices. Conversely, an anonymous U.S. official told reporters that authorities are actively pursuing sanctioned 'dark fleet' vessels, asserting that the Bella 1 is suspected of flying a false flag and that a judicial seizure order is already in place. Two critical legal and operational lines must be clarified here.

US Allows Dark-Fleet Oil Tankers to Shed Sanctions, Says Wright

Oct 19, 2026

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced a plan to convert sanctioned 'dark-fleet' oil tankers into legitimate vessels, potentially adding hundreds of ships to lawful operations while maintaining sanctions on source nations.

bloomberg

US Allows Dark-Fleet Oil Tankers to Shed Sanctions, Says Wright

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