Misbar Tracks Route of Iranian Tanker “SKYWAVE” Before Its Detention in the Indian Ocean

Using MarineTraffic data on May 20, 2026, Misbar tracked the route of the Iranian crude oil tanker SKYWAVE, following a report published by The Wall Street Journal stating that the vessel had been detained by U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean.

Tracking data showed that the tanker, which is subject to U.S. sanctions, was moving through open waters south of Sri Lanka along a maritime route heading toward the Gulf region.

Tracking Data Show Tanker Route South of Sri Lanka

Maritime tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the tanker sailing in “In Ballast” status, meaning without an oil cargo, at a speed of 7.3 knots on a westbound course toward Khor Fakkan Port in the United Arab Emirates.

The vessel’s latest Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal placed it near coordinates 4.97045, 85.635056 in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka, along one of the main shipping routes linking Southeast Asia and the Gulf.

IMO Number Links “SKYWAVE” to Sanctioned Vessel

The tanker carries IMO number 9328716 and currently sails under the flag of Botswana. Tracking data identify it as a crude oil tanker built in 2005.

According to data from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the same IMO number previously appeared on U.S. sanctions lists under the vessel name BLUE GULF, identified as linked to United Tankers Ltd. under executive orders targeting Iran’s oil sector.

The matching IMO number confirms that the tanker currently operating under the name “SKYWAVE” is linked to the vessel listed in U.S. sanctions records.

U.S. Report: Tanker Carried Oil Cargo From Kharg Island

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. forces detained the tanker SKYWAVE in the Indian Ocean over suspicions related to transporting Iranian oil shipments.

According to the report, the vessel loaded an oil cargo from Kharg Island in February 2026 before offloading it through a ship-to-ship transfer operation near Malaysian waters. The tanker was later intercepted during its return voyage toward the Middle East.

The newspaper added that SKYWAVE is among the tankers linked to the so-called “shadow fleet” allegedly used to transport Iranian oil, noting that it is the third tanker targeted by the United States in recent weeks.

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