India has intercepted three oil tankers believed to be associated with Iran and sanctioned by the US, according to a source close to the matter, as cited on Monday. On the other hand, the National Iranian Oil Company asserted that the three ships are not associated with the company.
The move is in line with information from a post on X by the Indian government on February 6, which was later, reportedly, deleted. According to the source, the three vessels — Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star, and Al Jafzia — frequently altered their identities to evade coastal law enforcement, noting that their owners are based overseas.
The source indicated that India is keen to ensure its waters are not utilised for ship-to-ship transfers designed to conceal the origin of oil cargoes.
These seizures coincide with strengthening US-India relations. Earlier this month, Washington announced a reduction in import tariffs on Indian goods from 50 to 18 per cent, following New Delhi's agreement to cease Russian oil imports.
Indian authorities previously stated in the deleted X post that three vessels were intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai following the detection of suspicious activity involving a tanker. The source confirmed that the ships were later escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.
However, Iranian state media, quoting the National Iranian Oil Company, insisted that the ships and their cargo had nothing to do with them.
The source told the media that the Indian Coast Guard has strengthened its surveillance activities since the ships were seized. About 55 ships and 10 to 12 aircraft are now conducting round-the-clock surveillance across the maritime zones of India.
Last year, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three vessels — Global Peace, Chil 1, and Glory Star 1 — holding International Maritime Organisation (IMO) numbers identical to the ships recently seized by India.
LSEG shipping data links two of the three tankers to Iran. Al Jafzia was transporting fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025, while Stellar Ruby was reported in Iran. Asphalt Star mainly operated in the vicinity of China.
Discounts are common in sanctioned oil and fuel due to the risks involved. The middlemen usually use various means such as shell companies, fake documents, and mid-ocean transfers to conceal the origin of the cargo.
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