Guyana has denied any link to an oil tanker seized by United States forces in the Indian Ocean, saying the vessel was fraudulently operating under its flag and is not registered in the country.

In a statement, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said the tanker Majestic X, reportedly intercepted while transporting Iranian oil, has no connection to Guyana’s ship registry despite claims it was sailing under the country’s flag.

Authorities said the vessel had previously been sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2024 under the name Phonix for allegedly smuggling Iranian crude in breach of US sanctions.

MARAD said while the vessel’s name had changed, its International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number remained tied to Phonix in international databases and there was no record of the ship in Guyana’s registry.

“This ship is not registered in Guyana,” the agency said, adding that the vessel was “fraudulently flying the Guyana flag.”

The administration stressed that Guyana operates a closed registry, under which vessel registration is restricted to ships owned by Guyanese nationals, residents, citizens of Caribbean Community countries, or companies incorporated under Guyanese law.

It said none of the purported owners of the vessel met those requirements.

The statement comes amid concerns over so-called false flag registrations, a practice officials say has affected several countries, including Guyana, Panama and other states in the region.

MARAD said fraudulent registrations involving Guyana had been detected since 2021 and that the issue has been raised through international maritime channels, including the International Maritime Organisation.

The agency said it has been working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to share information on false registrations with United Nations maritime states and regional and international maritime bodies.

It also noted that sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom and other Western governments have in part been aimed at addressing threats linked to such fraudulent registrations.

MARAD pushed back against suggestions the incident reflected weaknesses in Guyana’s ship registry, accusing some media outlets of circulating unverified claims about the integrity of the country’s maritime register.