The U.S. military intercepted a sanctioned vessel in the Arabian Sea on Saturday that is part of Iran‘s “shadow fleet.”
U.S. Central Command said the vessel, Sevan, was blocked by a Navy helicopter and ordered to turn around and head back to Iran under U.S. escort. The ship is “currently complying” with that order, according to CENTCOM.
“U.S. forces continue to enforce U.S. sanctions and fully implement the blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
CENTCOM added that this is the 37th interception since the start of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
Sevan, in particular, was just hit with U.S. sanctions. It was one of 19 vessels and numerous shipping companies targeted by the Treasury Department on Friday.
The interception comes as the U.S. blockade continues amid struggling peace negotiations.
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President Donald Trump canceled a second round of talks earlier on Saturday, suggesting they would be a waste of time.
He has previously vowed to keep the blockade in place until a deal is struck.
