US military disabled two tankers attempting to reach Iranian port

TAMPA, May 8: The US military has said its forces disabled two Iranian-flagged empty oil tankers on Friday before they could enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, alleging the vessels were attempting to breach an ongoing US blockade.

In a statement, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said: “US forces disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing US blockade.”

CENTCOM added that a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) acted, firing precision munitions into the ships’ smokestacks to prevent them from proceeding.

The statement further said US forces also disabled a third Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna, on May 6 while it was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. “All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran,” it said.

The Gulf of Oman remains a strategically sensitive maritime route linking the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil shipments passes.