Oil Tanker

Belgian defense forces intercepted and boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the North Sea, with French Navy NH90 helicopters providing airborne support. According to official statements, the operation was conducted within Belgium's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to enforce maritime international law.

The US has carried out two separate interdiction operations against sanctioned oil tankers on January 7, 2026, seizing one vessel in the North Atlantic and apprehending another in the Caribbean Sea. The seizures were conducted by the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Defense.