US Revives Wartime Prize Courts to Seize Iranian Oil Tankers

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to activate maritime prize courts that have long been unused. This action is intended to facilitate U.S. policies aimed at seizing Iranian oil tankers, designating them as war spoils.

The reactivation of these prize courts is anticipated to face legal challenges but is reportedly designed to strengthen the blockade against Iran and recoup war-related expenses.

Aaron Wright, a U.S. Attorney in Houston whose office is collaborating with the Department of Justice on this initiative, emphasized that the department is currently reviving the war prize courts.

Should this plan, which has not yet received final approval, be implemented, federal prosecutors could more swiftly claim oil and other cargo seized from “enemy” vessels or neutral ships as U.S. property. The confiscated goods would then be sold, with proceeds deposited into the U.S. Treasury.

Wright stated, “Our national security interests may require the U.S. military to seize vessels or cargoes that support an enemy during a military conflict. If such an event occurs, our federal courts must be prepared to adjudicate the fate of these seized vessels and cargoes.”

War prize courts, which were utilized in the 18th and 19th centuries, have largely fallen out of use since the Spanish-American War in 1898 and have remained completely dormant since the end of World War II.