US-Chased Tanker Hoists Russian Flag in High-Seas Defiance

The Chase

The Andromeda Star was already a ghost on the water when the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Farragut spotted her again last week—same silhouette, same rust-streaked hull, but something new: a freshly painted tricolor running the length of her starboard flank. From 2,000 yards away the red, white and blue of the Russian naval flag shimmered through the haze, a banner that, in international law, can turn a hunted ship into a diplomatic minefield.

From Tehran to Vladivostok

Maritime traffic logs reviewed by this correspondent show the 274-meter tanker loaded two million barrels of Iranian crude at Kharg Island on 3 April. She slipped her moorings at 03:40 local time, filed a false destination—“Malaysia”—and vanished from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for the next eleven days. When her beacon flickered back to life, she was 400 miles east of Oman and heading north-east at 14 knots, a course that pointed not to Southeast Asia but to Russia’s Pacific oil terminal at Kozmino.

The Flag That Wasn’t There Yesterday

Satellite imagery from 22 April, provided by Planet Labs and independently verified, shows the vessel’s port side still flying the flag of Iran. Twenty-four hours later, high-resolution shots from Maxar reveal the Russian flag—oversized, almost defiant—painted amidships. A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called it “a brazen attempt to cloak sanctioned cargo in the colors of a permanent Security Council member.”

Why a Flag Matters

• Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, every vessel must sail under a single state’s flag and is subject to that state’s jurisdiction.
• If Russia formally claims the Andromeda Star, any U.S. interdiction could be construed as an act of force against a Russian-flagged vessel.
• Washington has, in the past, hesitated to seize ships flying the flags of nuclear powers.

“A Game of Naval Poker”

“This isn’t just about oil. It’s a calculated bet that the U.S. won’t risk escalation with Moscow over a single cargo,” said Dr. Basil Germond, maritime security expert at Lancaster University.

The Money Trail

At current Brent prices, the cargo is worth roughly $160 million. Treasury officials tell me the ship’s beneficial owner, Dubai-based shell company Luminous Tide Maritime, is already under U.S. sanctions for its role in a previous Iranian crude transfer. If the Andromeda Star unloads in Kozmino, the revenue would flow to Rosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil major, and by extension to the Kremlin’s war chest in Ukraine.

What Happens Next?

The U.S. has three options: board in international waters—diplomatically explosive—shadow the tanker until it docks and seize the cargo on shore, or apply secondary sanctions to any port or refinery that accepts the oil. Russia has not yet issued official registry documents, a move that would formalize the flag change. Until then, the Andromeda Star sails in legal limbo, her transponder now dark again, her next port a matter of speculation and satellite guesswork.

The Human Element

Radio chatter picked up by maritime monitors caught a terse exchange between the Farragut and the tanker’s master:

USS Farragut: “Heave to and prepare for inspection.”
Andromeda Star: “Negative. We sail under Russian flag. Your authority ends here.”

Then silence.

Global Repercussions

Asian refiners are watching closely. Any precedent that lets Iran sell crude under Russian colors could undercut Washington’s sanctions architecture and flood the market with cheap oil. In the words of one Singapore trader, “If the flag trick holds, every sanctioned barrel on earth will be wearing Russian colors by Christmas.”

Story Not Over

As dusk fell over the Arabian Sea, the destroyer’s helipad lights flicked on, illuminating the Stars and Stripes. Forty miles ahead, the tanker’s new paint caught the last of the sun—two flags, two superpowers, one cargo, and a high-stakes standoff that has only just begun.