Ancient maritime doctrine dusted off to expedite capture of Iranian oil vessels

The U.S. Justice Department is reviving prize law, a centuries-old maritime legal framework, to simplify the seizure of Iranian oil tankers. This approach bypasses the need for warrants or specific statutory violations, allowing military forces to capture enemy vessels directly. The law, last invoked during the Spanish-American War, could bolster the naval blockade and recoup costs from the conflict.

Prize law is rooted in the Constitution's Captures Clause, which grants Congress authority to regulate the seizure of enemy property during wartime. The framework was notably tested during the Civil War when President Lincoln invoked the Prize Act of 1812 to blockade Confederate ports, a move the Supreme Court ultimately upheld as legitimate.

The revival marks a significant departure from standard civil seizure procedures, which require demonstrating a specific statutory violation and establishing jurisdiction through extensive litigation. Under prize law, the Department of Defense can act directly through military force without warrants, and the proceeds from condemned vessels and cargo would flow into U.S. government coffers. However, the law's last application in 1898 means contemporary courts lack established precedent for its modern use.