The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Dorena slipped past a US Navy cordon and was headed out into the Indian Ocean when it switched off its location signal and went dark.
The ship, whose movements were tracked by shipping-intelligence firm Kpler, is one of hundreds of sanctions-evading ghost-fleet vessels playing a game of cat-and-mouse as the US tries to lock down Iran's oil trade and pressure the country to agree to President Trump's terms for peace.
This time, the US came out on top. Early Thursday morning local time, the military said a Navy destroyer was escorting the Dorena off the west coast of India after foiling its attempt to escape and deliver its cargo.
Shipping analytics firms say vessels continue to try their luck, testing the limits of a US pressure campaign against the regime in Tehran, which includes a blockade and a separate effort to board shadow-fleet vessels.
