Sailors prepare an F/A-18F Super Hornet for launch off the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln on May 31, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. military disabled an empty oil tanker on Monday while it was heading to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
An F/A-18 Super Hornet from aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the engineering and steering spaces of the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex after the crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces, according to the combatant command.
“Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” the statement posted on X said.
This is the seventh commercial vessel the U.S. has disabled since initiating the naval blockade on April 13. CENTCOM said its forces have redirected 134 ships that complied and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass.
The blockade followed a breakdown in U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending hostilities in the Persian Gulf and getting Iran to give up its nuclear materials.
President Donald Trump has publicly said for weeks that he believes Iran and the U.S. are nearing an agreement on a framework to reach a long-term deal.
“Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday morning.
The Iranian military said it will halt strikes against Israel following a day of hostilities that threatened to undo a tenuous ceasefire and reignite war in the Middle East.
