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US Naval Forces Disable Two More Iranian Oil Tankers in Gulf of Oman

US Central Command disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, in the Gulf of Oman using precision munitions from F/A-18 Super Hornets. This follows the disabling of another Iranian tanker, M/T Hasna, on May 6, bringing the total to four disabled vessels. CENTCOM has also redirected 57 commercial vessels as part of the ongoing blockade against Iran. Admiral Brad Cooper stated US forces remain committed to enforcing the blockade, with over 70 tankers currently prevented from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Key Points: US Disables 2 Iranian Oil Tankers, Redirects 57 Ships

  • US disables two Iranian oil tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda
  • F/A-18 Super Hornets from USS George HW Bush disable tankers with precision munitions
  • Total of four Iranian tankers disabled since May 6
  • 57 commercial vessels redirected, over 70 tankers blocked from Iranian ports
3 min read

US naval forces disable 2 more Iranian oil tankers; redirected 57 commercial vessels amid blockade

US Central Command disables two Iranian oil tankers in Gulf of Oman, redirects 57 commercial vessels as part of ongoing blockade against Iran.

"US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran. - Admiral Brad Cooper"

Florida, May 9

The United States Central Command said that US naval forces disabled two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as part of the ongoing US blockade measures against the Islamic Republic, while also redirecting 57 commercial vessels in the region.

In a statement issued on Friday, CENTCOM said US forces disabled the Iranian unladen tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda before the vessels could enter a port of the Islamic Republic on the Gulf of Oman.

According to CENTCOM, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) fired precision munitions into the smokestacks of both unladen oil tankers, preventing them from reaching Iranian territory.

"US Central Command (CENTCOM) enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran," the statement read.

This comes after US forces on May 6 disabled another Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna, as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM said an F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) targeted the vessel's rudder using several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun.

"All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran," the statement added.

Commenting on the operations, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said US forces remain committed to enforcing the blockade measures against vessels entering or leaving Iran.

"US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran. Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work," Cooper said.

Following this announcement, CENTCOM stated that as part of the blockade, multiple commercial vessels have been disabled, with 57 ships redirected to ensure compliance as of Friday.

CENTCOM announced this development in a post on X, where it shared photographs of USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Arabian Sea in support of the blockade efforts.

It added that a total of four ships were disabled so far.

"Photos of USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled 4 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports," the post added.

In another update, CENTCOM said there are currently more than 70 tankers being prevented by US forces from entering or leaving Iranian ports as part of the blockade.

"These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated USD 13 billion-plus," CENTCOM said in another post on X.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

J
James A
As an American, I support CENTCOM's efforts to prevent Iran from funding terrorism through oil revenues. Iran has been destabilizing the Middle East for decades. But I must admit, disabling civilian tankers with precision munitions seems extreme. Hope diplomacy prevails soon.
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Priya S
India should be very concerned about this. The Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea are vital for our energy security. When US warships can just disable any tanker they want, what happens if they target Indian vessels one day? We need to strengthen our ties with Iran and Russia to counterbalance US hegemony. 🇮🇳✊
R
Rohit P
Meanwhile, India is busy buying Russian oil at discounted rates and doing business with Iran. Our government needs to have a clear stance on this. If the US can blockade Iran so easily, what's stopping them from doing the same to us if we don't comply with their sanctions? Strategic autonomy is a myth.
S
Sneha F
It's ironic that the US lectures everyone about freedom of navigation while literally blocking ships from entering a sovereign nation's ports. Where is the UN Security Council on this? Oh wait, US has veto power. Shame on the international community for letting this happen. 😡
M
Michael C
I understand the need to curb Iran's malign activities, but disabling 4 tankers and redirecting 57 others is unprecedented. The US is essentially waging economic warfare without Congressional approval. This could easily escalate into a full-blown conflict. Madness.

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