Washington DC (US)

An empty oil tanker, formerly known as Bella 1, has become the latest point of a face-off between the US and Russia as the latter sent naval assets including a submarine to bring it back, as per a Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday.

As per the WSJ report, Bella 1 has been trying to evade the US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight.

The vessel failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the US Coast Guard pursued it into the Atlantic in a bid to crack down on a fleet of tankers that ferry illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Russia, as reported by Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in December, the vessel's crew engaged in fisticuffs against the US law agencies who tried to board the vessel in December and steamed into the Atlantic. Russia has been concerned by U.S. seizures of tankers that ferry its oil around the world.

On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring "with concern" the situation surrounding the tanker, according to state news agency RIA.

Meanwhile, the US military's Southern Command said in a post on X on Tuesday that it was ready to "stand against sanctioned vessels in the region.

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"Always ready to serve: SOUTH COM remains ready to support our U.S Government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region. Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there," the US Southern Command said.

The US Coast Guard has continued to trail the ship into the Eastern Atlantic, where it is now sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to AIS positioning, WSJ reported.