Gold remains volatile? US and UK launch surprise raid to seize Russian oil tanker, bigger storm ahead for the gold market!

FX678, January 8th—— On January 7, the US and UK jointly seized the oil tanker "Marinera" (formerly "Bella 1") in the North Atlantic, which is linked to Russia, Venezuela, and Hezbollah. The US stated that this move aims to enforce sanctions against the relevant countries. This incident marks a direct escalation of geopolitical risks, which will boost short-term safe-haven demand for gold and curb a technical pullback in gold prices.

An oil tanker bound for Russia, and linked to both Venezuela and Hezbollah, was seized in the Atlantic by US forces in a bold operation on Wednesday (January 7).

The UK Ministry of Defence revealed that the operation to seize the Russian-flagged tanker was supported by British armed forces, and claimed that the ship was also associated with the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that the detained crew would "be brought to the US for prosecution if necessary."



US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters that operations to seize sanctioned or stateless tankers departing from Venezuela would continue. Hegseth said: "Our military is prepared to continue these operations."

"When the President says something, he means it. He is not joking. Ours is an action-oriented government committed to advancing our interests, and this is being demonstrated to the fullest."

Was the UK involved in this operation?

The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the supply ship RFA Tideforce and a Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft assisted the US in the seizure of the tanker, which is also known as "Bella 1."

British Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Today, our British Armed Forces demonstrated skill and professionalism as they supported the US in successfully intercepting the vessel Bella 1 en route to Russia. This action is part of global efforts to combat sanction evasion."

"The UK will continue to step up efforts to crack down on shadow fleet activities, to protect our national security, economy, and global stability—keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad."

"The US is the UK’s closest defense and security partner. Our deep defense relationship is a vital part of our security, and today's seamlessly executed operation demonstrates just how well it works in practice."

The UK Ministry of Defence added that the vessel initially sailed under a false flag and was assessed to have been involved in illegal activities linked to Hezbollah.

Headquartered in Germany, the US European Command confirmed the seizure of the "Marinera" for "violating US sanctions." In a statement, it said: "The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic after being tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro and pursuant to a search warrant issued by a US federal court."

This is part of aggressive measures by US President Donald Trump to intervene in US oil flows.

The Marinera has been subject to US sanctions and spent at least two weeks trying to evade the US blockade near Venezuela.

MarineTraffic vessel tracking data showed the tanker was approaching Iceland's exclusive economic zone on Wednesday.

The vessel departed from Iran and went to Venezuela to load oil, as part of the so-called "shadow fleet" that continues to transport oil for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela despite mounting sanctions from the US and its allies.



After leaving the Caribbean, the ship’s name was changed from "Bella 1" to "Marinera," and its flag switched from Guyana to Russia. Further data from TankerTraffic indicated the vessel suddenly turned south and slowed down.

This incident followed a controversial boarding attempt in late December. On December 21, the US Coast Guard tried to intercept Bella 1 near Venezuela, but the crew refused to allow boarding.

In the days that followed, the ship changed its identity, and the crew painted the Russian tricolor on the hull.

As of January 1, the vessel was officially renamed "Marinera" and registered under the Russian ship registry.

It is reported that aircraft from the Royal Air Force participated in the US operation, and the UK airbase was used as the starting point for the boarding mission.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that the "Bella 1" vessel "has a rather poor track record." In an interview, she said the mission was successful and noted that "all actions were fully in line with international law."

"We provided support to the US, which included the use of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel called 'Tideforce,' mainly responsible for refueling ships at sea, and the Royal Air Force also provided some aerial surveillance."

Early Wednesday morning, the US also seized another shadow fleet tanker, "Sophia," in the Caribbean, with authorities stating it was carrying oil from Venezuela.

Commenting on the success of the operation, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded that the US blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil is "effective anywhere in the world."

Analysis of Impact on the Gold Market

The news of the joint US-UK seizure of a "shadow fleet" oil tanker marks a significant escalation of recent geopolitical tensions and will have a clear and direct bullish impact on the gold market.

In the short term, this news will help curb a deep pullback in gold prices and may soon prompt prices to stabilize and rebound. In early Asian trading on Thursday, spot gold fluctuated around $4,450 per ounce.

In the medium to long term, combined with other geopolitical risk events, this creates a highly uncertain macro environment—a stage where gold, as a safe-haven asset, can demonstrate its value most clearly. Therefore, this event should be regarded by gold investors as a key support factor and a potential trigger for price increases.



(Spot gold daily chart, source: EasyFX)

At 9:00 (GMT+8), spot gold was quoted at $4,445.93 per ounce.