Majestic X
Sanctioned crude tanker, IMO 9198317, registered as Phonix, seized by US forces
American forces boarded the tanker east of Sri Lanka on 23 April 2026, with about 1.88 million barrels of crude aboard bound for China. The Justice Department has begun forfeiture proceedings against the hull, which is registered as the Phonix.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Majestic X
Became the subject of Justice Department forfeiture proceedings
Iran Conflict 2026: Three seized tankers near American portsBackground
This is one ship under two names. The hull is IMO 9198317, a Very Large Crude Carrier built in 2001 and carrying 281,501 tonnes deadweight. Its registered name is Phonix, and Ukraine's defence intelligence service records Majestic X as a name it sails under rather than a registry entry. It has also sailed as Luna Lake, Pacific Challenger and Formosapetro Challenger. The owner of record is Faith Enterprise Ltd and the manager is Vision Ship Management LLP.
The United States Treasury designated the vessel on 3 December 2024 under its registered name, then Guyana-flagged, and named Vision Ship Management LLP as its India-based operator. Treasury said the hull had carried millions of barrels of Iranian crude since 2022.
Sanctions screening works on the registered name and on IMO 9198317; charterers and port agents meet the sailing name instead, which is how one hull comes to be tracked twice. IMO 9198317 has survived five names, two flags and a designation unchanged. The cargo aboard cannot be landed and sold in the United States unless a court grants forfeiture.
What is the IMO number of the tanker Majestic X?
Is the Majestic X the same ship as the Phonix?
Why did the United States seize the Majestic X?
Who owns the tanker Majestic X?
