US intercepts Iranian 'shadow fleet' vessel Sevan in Arabian Sea, US Central Command says
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The U.S. has intercepted an Iranian merchant vessel, M/V Sevan, in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on the evening of April 25.
According to the report, a U.S. Navy helicopter intercepted Sevan with the help of guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91).
It added that the vessel was complying with U.S. military orders to turn back toward Iran under escort.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Sevan on April 24, along with 18 other vessels, for transporting Iranian oil and gas products to foreign markets.
"The Iranian shadow fleet serves as the critical link between Iranian oil producers and end users in Asia," the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated.
M/V Sevan is Panama-flagged and owned by Anka Energy and Logistics Company, a Marshall Islands-based company. It transported approximately 750,000 barrels of Iranian propane and butane to Bangladesh between August and November 2025, according to the Department of the Treasury.
U.S. forces continue enforcing sanctions and the blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. Since the start of the blockade, 37 vessels have been redirected, the Department of the Treasury reported.
On April 13, the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on Iran after the Islamabad Talks failed to end the Iran war.
The latest developments in the war come as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global oil and gas shipments — has declined sharply since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, with Tehran targeting tankers and regional energy infrastructure in response.
About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait each day, fueling concerns about prolonged disruption to global energy markets.
Brent crude oil, a widely used global benchmark, rose to a peak of nearly $120 a barrel in March, prices last seen in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
