The Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on a special operation to seize the tanker Ocean Koi in its territorial waters. However, the veracity of the report was called into question by , the maritime intelligence service that, through satellite monitoring, detected inconsistencies in the official version regarding the vessel.
According to the IRIB report, Iranian Navy commandos boarded and escorted the ship back to the country, under accusations of attempting to sabotage crude oil exports and undermine national interests.
The armed institution reaffirmed its commitment to defending strategic assets in territorial waters, warning that there will be no concessions for those who violate the regulations.
Meanwhile, the tracking platform noted that “according to IRIB, the Iranian Navy carried out a special operation to seize an ‘offending tanker’ named Ocean Koi, under the argument that it was trying to export Iranian oil irregularly. However, its current name is actually Jin Li (IMO: 9255933), a designation it has held since November 30, 2025.”
“Upon examining our data, it is observed that the vessel has transported various Iranian hydrocarbons on at least 16 occasions since 2021. These operations were carried out with Iran’s full knowledge, as half of its cargoes were loaded directly at Iranian ports, while the other half was conducted via ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in open sea,” it added.
TankerTrackers also specified that “the ownership of the Jin Li is based in Shanghai, China. It is worth noting that the vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 25, 2026.”
From the intelligence site, they pointed out that this type of visual propaganda is recurrent on the part of Iran. When asked about the possibility of the regime capturing its own vessels, analysts stated that “this is not, by any means, the first time we have witnessed something like this.”
The sanction imposed by OFAC on the Ocean Koi (Jin Li) aimed to curb both the illicit sale of Iranian crude oil and the production of ballistic missiles and advanced conventional weapons (ACW). This measure is part of the maximum pressure campaign that the U.S. Department of the Treasury maintains against the Islamic Republic.
