“We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period.”
The military move represents a dramatic escalation in tensions between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after contrasting moments of warmth and friction over the past year, as the US leader jas tried to negotiate a peace deal on Ukraine.
A 2014 photo showing the tanker known as Bella 1, which changed its name to the Marinera and is sailing under the flag of Russia. She was seized in the North Atlantic ocean by US forces.Credit: Getty Images
The two raids took place late on Wednesday night, AEDT.
The US prepared to intercept the Marinera by sending helicopters and personnel to a Royal Air Force base in Suffolk, raising expectations about the use of force despite the Russian warnings.
While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has joined European allies in warning Trump against trying to take control of Greenland, the clash over the Arctic territory has not prevented the allies negotiating peace terms for Ukraine or working together to stop the tankers.
On Tuesday, hours before the US Coast Guard operation, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, in a move welcomed at a meeting in Paris with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Volodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron President of France and Keir Starmer Prime Minister of Great Britain attend a signing ceremony during the ‘Coalition Of The Willing’ meeting at Elysee Palace on January 6, 2026 in Paris, France.Credit: Getty Images
The UK worked with the US military for several days to support the operation against the Marinera, sending the military tanker Tideforce, part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, in case the US Coast Guard needed fuel. The Royal Air Force also provided surveillance from the air.
The Marinera has been sanctioned by US authorities since 2024 for transporting Iranian oil. It has been known by several names and has flown various national flags during its history as one of the “shadow fleet” seeking to evade sanctions.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK assisted the interception as part of its policy of disrupting the Russian oil trade.
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“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” he said.
“The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
The US military confirmed its forces had taken control of the Russian vessel in the North Atlantic, between Scotland and Iceland.
“The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro,” it said.
The US also said it had apprehended a “stateless” vessel, the Sophia, in international waters in the Caribbean because it was conducting “illicit” activities. It said the ship was being escorted to the US.
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