The Iranian Foreign Ministry has strongly denounced the United States over the interception of Iranian oil tankers in the Indian Ocean, characterizing the actions as state-sanctioned piracy. In a statement issued Monday, spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned what he described as the "outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas," following reports that US forces seized vessels carrying nearly 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil each.

The tankers targeted, the M/T Majestic (formerly M/T Phoenix) and M/T Tifani, were reportedly detained under federal warrants issued by US courts as part of Washington's unilateral sanctions regime against Iran. Baqaei criticized the use of judicial instruments to justify the seizures, accusing the US of cloaking its maritime interventions in legal authority while effectively engaging in lawless conduct.

"Welcome to the return of the pirates—only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder ‘law enforcement,’” the spokesman said. He called on the United States to be held accountable for what Iran views as a blatant violation of international law, maritime security principles, and the foundations of free trade.

The US has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, a response to Tehran’s earlier closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global oil shipments. Iranian officials have consistently condemned the blockade as illegal, asserting that it breaches a ceasefire that took effect on April 8 and was unilaterally extended by US President Donald Trump shortly before its expiration on April 22.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned that such measures risk escalating tensions in crucial maritime chokepoints. In response to the most recent US seizures in the Sea of Oman, Iran’s military has pledged decisive retaliation against what it terms a further act of piracy committed by American forces against Iranian commercial shipping.

The developments underscore the persistent confrontation between Tehran and Washington over sanctions enforcement and freedom of navigation in a volatile region, with implications for international maritime law and the security of global energy supplies.