US seeks to revive Civil War-era prize courts to claim Iranian oil

The US Department of Justice is preparing a mechanism to simplify the seizure of Iranian tankers and declare their cargo as US property. The seized oil is planned to be sold, with proceeds going to the treasury—Washington hopes this will strengthen the blockade against Iran and partially cover war expenses. US Attorney in Houston Aaron Reitz confirmed the department is 'reviving' this old maritime legal tool. Such courts were actively used in the 18th–19th centuries, rarely used after the 1898 Spanish-American War, and have been effectively inactive since World War II.