Indian Coastal Guard captures three vessels linked to Iran’s “shadow fleet” in Arabian Sea

The Indian Coastal Guard has captured three oil vessels in the Arabian Sea as part of what it described as a coordinated operation against an international oil smuggling network, which the Iranian media linked to Tehran's oil network. In a statement posted on social media, the Coast Guard said it intercepted the three vessels around 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on Friday after tech-enabled surveillance and data pattern analysis. The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict-ridden regions to motor tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states, the Coast Guard said. Furthermore, it added that the vessels were being escorted to Mumbai for further legal action. All three vessels had been sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2025 because of accusations related to participating in the transport of sanctioned Iranian oil, according to data from Qplur, a platform specialising in tracking oil and gas trade. Tracking firm TankerTrackers said it had identified the three vessels as Stellar Ruby operating under the Iranian flag, Chiltern and Asphalt Star. The vessels were designated by Washington as a shadow fleet, used to circumvent restrictions on Iranian oil exports. It's worth noting that the US announced new sanctions on the Iranian oil network on Friday. The move includes sanctions on 15 entities, 14 vessels and two individuals and targets Iran's shadow fleet. Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilising activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran, the State Department said in a statement. Last week, Iran itself seized two overseas-registered tankers over fuel smuggling in the Middle East Gulf. State media reported the operation took place on Thursday. The Khamenei regime has begun using underhanded tactics to suppress protests and intensify repression, turning medical care into a tool of intimidation and pressure on the population. In Iran, doctors and medical personnel are increasingly being targeted by security forces for treating wounded protesters, effectively depriving the injured of any chance of survival. Mariv writes about this. Medical workers warn that hospitals are no longer safe places. Doctors risk arrest, torture and criminal prosecution if they treat protesters, refuse to discharge patients prematurely or clash with security forces. They say the denial of treatment and intimidation of medical workers are part of a broader strategy to suppress resistance. To document these events, a database of detained medical workers was created. The initiative is named after Aida Rostami, a 36-year-old doctor from Tehran who secretly provided medical care to the wounded during the 2022 protests. After her shift at the hospital, she disappeared and was later found dead with signs of torture. According to available data, at least 40 cases of detention of doctors, nurses, medical students, technical staff and volunteers have been identified in various provinces of the country. The actual scale of the repression, sources emphasize, may be much wider. Eyewitnesses report that in several hospitals, security forces used tear gas in emergency rooms to clear wards, and wounded civilians were expelled to make room for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters. Doctors who protested against photographing patients or security forces interfering with their treatment were subsequently arrested. In some cases, according to medical professionals, shootings took place directly on hospital grounds with unconscious patients among the dead. Under pressure from repression, medical care is increasingly going underground. Some doctors are setting up makeshift home clinics, treating gunshot and bullet wounds in apartments, and constantly changing locations for fear of surveillance. Others report searches, threats and direct warnings to stop providing any care under threat of arrest. Some cases have sparked international outcry. For example, Iranian surgeon Alireza Golchini was charged with waging war against God, which carries the death penalty. He was later released on bail after international pressure, but doctors emphasize that his case is not closed and is not an exception. According to medical professionals, denial of medical care has become a secondary mechanism of killing. Wounded protesters are afraid to go to hospitals due to the risk of arrest or execution, attempting to treat themselves and often dying from infections and preventable complications. Doctors warn that the purpose of this vile tactic is not only to punish medical workers but also to intimidate society as a whole so that people fear even trying to save their own lives. A wave of mass arrests has swept cities across Iran. The widespread protests last month were met with an unprecedented security response. Following violent street crackdowns, reports indicate the start of a nationwide arrest campaign, which, according to multiple sources, is aimed at preventing any resurgence of protests. Reports from inside Iran indicate extensive activity by plainclothes forces. According to these accounts, security forces arrested thousands of people over several days, checkpoints increased, and streets came under heavy control. Many detainees have been transferred to secret prisons. There is no information about their whereabouts, and the main objective is to instill public fear. These accounts align with statements from lawyers, doctors, eyewitnesses, and even officials of Iran's regime. According to these sources, the arrest wave is a tool to prevent any renewal of protests. Signs of internal tension and discontent are growing within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, amid the brutal suppression of protests in Iran. According to sources and human rights activists, some military and security personnel are experiencing severe moral and psychological pressure due to their involvement in violence against civilians. Omid Habibinia writes about this in an article for Ynet. One active member of the IRGC in Tehran reported through an intermediary that he had effectively resigned from service, citing a grave psychological condition and treatment for depression. He said that despite prior orders to use live ammunition and the expectation of harsh reprisals, the level of violence was shocking. He also stated that members of his family were among those injured and missing. Against this backdrop, according to unconfirmed reports, the IRGC's internal security service has sent classified directives to commanders warning of severe penalties for refusing to comply with orders. The documents stipulate immediate arrests and transfers of violators to special military courts and emphasize that any disobedience will be considered a threat to national security. At the same time, the IRGC's intelligence unit issued a public statement threatening prosecution for desertion and refusing to obey orders. This statement, according to observers, demonstrates the leadership's serious concerns about potential disunity and erosion of loyalty within the security forces, particularly among veterans. Human rights organizations continue to report extreme violence, including the shooting of wounded protesters, the killing of detainees, and deaths in medical facilities. Due to severe restrictions on access to information and the Internet, many incidents cannot be independently confirmed, but individual cases, including deaths in custody after arrest, raise serious international concern. Psychological pressure is also being felt within the police force. One law enforcement officer in Tehran stated that many rank-and-file officers are on the He added that the situation is particularly dire for families, where relatives are themselves participating in the protests. In response to growing discontent within the security forces, the authorities have intensified ideological indoctrination of mid-level command. During special training sessions, protesters are labeled enemies of God, and the use of Experts note that the regime's multi-layered security system and ideological foundation have so far enabled it to contain widespread dissension within the armed forces. However, a combination of protracted protests, an economic crisis, external pressure, or abrupt political changes could quickly undermine the stability of the security forces and lead to serious consequences for the regime. Recall a new wave of anti-government protests is growing in Iran, despite thousands of deaths and massive government pressure, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources within the country. According to the publication, signs of public discontent are increasingly evident in everyday life. Protests are erupting at funerals of the deceased, where mourning ceremonies escalate into open expressions of disagreement with government policies. In schools, students are demonstratively refusing to sing patriotic songs, which is seen as a form of silent resistance. Activists and opposition-minded citizens are increasingly vocal about the need for a change of government and the overthrow of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. At the same time, many protesters recognize the high risk of repression and the potential cost of openly opposing the regime.