12:20 - 27.08.2026

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August 27, Fineko/abc.az. The United States is preparing to employ long-dormant legal mechanisms to streamline the interception and forfeiture of Iranian oil tankers.

According to a Bloomberg report citing sources, the US Department of Justice plans to activate a historic prize court framework. This legal pathway would allow Washington to treat seized Iranian tankers as official US "prizes of war," significantly simplifying the legal procedure for detaining vessel assets.

Analysts note that resurrecting prize law could marked a significant shift in US enforcement strategy, with potential ramifications for global maritime trade and energy transport routes in the Middle East.