US forces seize Russian oil tanker off Iceland

7th Jan 2026 14:31

(Sharecast News) - US forces have seized two more tankers accused of shipping oil in breach of sanctions against Venezuela, military officials said on Wednesday.

One vessel, flying the Russian flag and recently re-named the Marinera from its previous name of Bella 1 under a Guyanese flag, had sailed into the southeastern Icelandic exclusive economic zone in the early hours of Wednesday, Iceland's Coast Guard said. It is not carrying any oil cargo.

US European Command confirmed the seizure via social media after tracking the ship for several weeks, saying it was for violations of American sanctions. The UK and Iceland both provided military assistance with the Royal Navy supply ship RFA Tideforce pressed into service.

"The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro," US officials added.

Britain also confirmed that UK military bases were used by US planes and military assets in the operation in the North Atlantic.

"This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine," said UK Defence Secretary John Healey.

Russia's transport ministry responded by accusing the US of violating 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which states "there is a regime of freedom of navigation in the waters on the high seas and no state has the right to use force against ships duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states". The vessel had been authorised to sail under the Russian flag on December 24.

US Southern Command later confirmed the capture of the tanker Sophia "operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea", adding that the US Coast Guard was escorting the vessel to the US.

The seizures follow an announcement from US President Donald Trump overnight that the US would take $2bn in Venezuelan oil in a move that angered China - a major customer of the Latin American country taking around 80% of its crude exports. The move could potentially force Beijing to pay higher prices for its crude and increase tensions with Washington.

China's foreign ministry on Wednesday said Venezuela "enjoys full and permanent sovereignty over its natural resources and economic activities" and that US demands for the country to hand over its oil "violate international law, infringe upon Venezuela's sovereignty, and harm the rights of the Venezuelan people".

Trump said Venezuela would be "turning over" between 30m and 50m barrels of "High Quality, Sanctioned Oil" following an agreement struck with Caracas.

"The Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" he added.

US forces snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and flew him to New York to face a range of charges related to drug trafficking after weeks of pressure. Trump has since been explicit that Venezuela must now open up its vast oil reserves to US companies or risk further military invention.

The country already has millions of barrels of oil loaded in tankers and storage tanks that it has been unable to ship after Trump imposed a blockade on exports late last year.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com