US Seizes Sanctioned Tanker Marinera off Iceland

On 7 January 2026 US European Command seized the oil tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, off the coast of Iceland. The vessel had been sailing under a series of false identities and flags, beginning its journey on 3 September 2025 near the Strait of Hormuz and docking at Kharg Island, Iran, where it loaded crude. After spoofing AIS signals, it left Iranian waters on 13 November, stopped at Suez South anchorage (23‑26 November), passed the Strait of Gibraltar on 3 December, and was last detected near Antigua and Barbuda on 17 December when it ceased transmitting. A US Coast Guard boarding attempt on 20 December was followed by 39 distress calls on 21 December. On 1 January the ship re‑emerged as Marinera, flying a Russian flag and heading toward Murmansk, before being seized.