U.S. Destroyers Escorting Two Iranian Oil Tankers Dorena and Sevin in Arabian Sea

U.S. Navy destroyers are actively escorting two Iranian oil tankers, the Dorena (a VLCC supertanker) and the Sevin (a Suezmax tanker) after the vessels departed Iran before the U.S. naval blockade took full effect, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The tankers left from Chabahar port on Iran’s Gulf of Oman coast prior to April 13, when the U.S. imposed its blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. officials confirmed that American destroyers are now shadowing and controlling the movement of both vessels in the Arabian Sea, with one reported roughly 300 miles off India’s western coast.

A senior U.S. official declined to disclose the final destination or exact purpose of the escort, citing operational security.

This development comes as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to cut off Iran’s oil revenue amid the fragile ceasefire and ongoing power struggles inside Tehran.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emphasized that the ongoing naval blockade is designed to fill Iran’s storage facilities at Kharg Island within days, forcing the shutdown of oil wells and risking permanent damage to the country’s reservoirs.

Iran has repeatedly condemned U.S. actions in the region as “armed piracy” and aggression. Tehran has accused Washington of violating the ceasefire while Iranian officials struggle to present a unified negotiating position due to internal tensions between pragmatic civilian leaders and hardline IRGC commanders.

By escorting and potentially diverting or seizing these tankers, the U.S. aims to prevent Iranian crude, which primarily heads to China, from reaching international markets. This tightens the economic pressure on Tehran as its onshore storage capacity nears full, with analysts warning of long-term production losses if wells must be shut in.