The U.S. forces fired on two Iran-flagged oil tankers Friday to prevent them from docking at an Iranian port in violation of the American naval blockade, according to United States Central Command.
The military said a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet used precision strikes to disable the vessels, identified as the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 8, 2026
CENTCOM said both tankers had switched off tracking transponders and were operating covertly along routes linked to Iranian fuel smuggling.
The U.S. has enforced a blockade on Iranian ports since peace talks in Islamabad collapsed in April. Iran has responded by tightening control in the Strait of Hormuz and charging non-allied vessels passage fees.
#BREAKING US airstrikes target empty oil tankers attempting to breach blockade by entering Iranian ports, Fox News reports, citing senior US official pic.twitter.com/rdfLw0k9py
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) May 8, 2026
The military also revealed it disabled another Iran-linked tanker earlier this week. According to CENTCOM, American forces have intercepted more than 50 vessels during the ongoing maritime standoff between Washington and Tehran.
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