US carrying out operation to seize Russian flagged tanker

The US is carrying out an operation to seize the Venezuela-linked oil tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella-1, which has been accused of breaking US sanctions and shipping Iranian oil. The vessel changed its name, flag, and registration in an attempt to evade US authorities. The owner of the Marinera, a Turkey-based company, was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The tanker has been pursued by US Coast Guard vessels across the North Atlantic, with Russia reportedly deploying a submarine to escort it.