Russia Sends Submarine to Escort Sanction-Hit Tanker as US Pursuit Escalates in North Atlantic

Russia has dispatched a submarine and surface vessels to escort an oil tanker across the North Atlantic as the ship faces the prospect of interception by the US over alleged sanctions violations, sharpening an already volatile confrontation over illicit oil flows.

US officials said the tanker, now sailing between Iceland and the British Isles, is being pursued under Washington's expanded enforcement campaign against sanctioned energy shipments.

The vessel, formerly named Bella 1 and now operating as Marinera, was previously flagged to Guyana and has since been re-registered under the Russian flag. It has a history of transporting Venezuelan crude and is accused by US authorities of breaching sanctions linked to Iranian oil, though officials say it is currently empty.

Since the recent US arrest of Venezuela's President in Caracas, analysts have identified several sanctioned tankers shifting to Russian registry, a pattern suggesting Moscow is prepared to test Washington's resolve at sea while shielding vessels that sit at the intersection of energy, sanctions and geopolitics.

Two US officials confirmed that Moscow has sent a submarine and additional naval asset to escort the ship, which is believed to be bound for Murmansk in northern Russia.

The move raises the political and military costs of any attempted boarding and marks a rare instance of Russian naval protection for a commercial tanker facing Western enforcement.

The standoff follows an order last month by US President Donald Trump to impose what he called a "blockade" on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a step Caracas condemned as "theft".

Acting on that directive, the US Coast Guard attempted to board the tanker in the Caribbean in December after securing a warrant to seize it for alleged sanctions breaches.

US officials said Washington would prefer to seize the vessel rather than sink it. On December 31, US Southern Command said it "remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region", adding that American naval forces were actively tracking ships of interest.

Accusing the US of igniting hostility on January 7, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was "monitoring with concern" what it described as "clearly disproportionate attention" by US and NATO forces toward a "peaceful" Russian-flagged vessel.

"At present, our vessel is sailing in international waters of the North Atlantic under the state flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law," the ministry said, reports BBC.

The tanker's altered course towards Europe has coincided with the arrival of around 10 US military transport aircraft and several helicopters in the UK, a timing that has fuelled speculation about contingency planning.

Any US military operation launched from British territory would typically require prior notification to London, though the UK Ministry of Defence has declined to comment on the activities of other nations' forces.