washington, May 1 -- The US is seeking forfeiture of two Iran-linked oil tankers seized by naval forces enforcing a blockade against the Islamic Republic, according to a senior administration official. The US Department of Justice has initiated the forfeiture process, the official said, without elaborating on what that entails or whether it signals an intent to seize the crude on board. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, declined to detail what will ultimately happen to the vessels or comment on their current routes, citing operational security. US forces boarded the vessels Tifani and Phonix - the latter also known as the Majestic X - last week in the general vicinity of Sri Lanka, according to the Pentagon. The two tankers continued to sail across the Indian Ocean in the following days, and appeared to make several course reversals. The US and Iran have been enforcing dual blockades in and around the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump ratchets up economic pressure on Tehran and the Islamic Republic seeks to counter American pressure. Trump's decision to enforce a naval blockade against Iran, announced last month, is a key part of the administration's "Operation Economic Fury" campaign to squeeze Tehran's oil revenue and build leverage for nuclear talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has repeatedly said the blockade is preventing Iran from shipping its oil so that crude builds up in storage and forces the country to shut off producing wells, stopping revenue that funds soldiers and proxy groups. Bessent on Wednesday told Fox Business that Iran's Kharg Island "is at a virtual standstill in terms of loadings" of crude. "We think that the Iranian storage will be full soon. They'll have to start capping in their wells, which will lead to permanent problems," he added....