> The ship, which started its journey in Iran, had been on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela

WSJ reporting elaborates on this journey, for context the US operations began in late August:

> Before heading toward Venezuela, empty of oil, the Bella 1 loaded crude in Iran in early September, Kpler said, and then turned off its transponder near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the world. It went dark for two months, and when it came back online close to the same spot, it was no longer carrying oil, Kpler said, suggesting it had unloaded the cargo to other vessels.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/coast-guard-tracks-down...