CENTCOM forces disabled the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (Screenshot from U.S. Central Command video)
For the second day in a row, the U.S. military disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman attempting to transport oil from Iran, U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.
CENTCOM forces disabled the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday at 11:14 EST.
“A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces,” the combatant command said in a post on X.
The post also included a 15-second video of the vessel in the water seconds before the strike occurred.
This is the eighth 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.
President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Iran would have to “pay the price” after an exchange of fire that began with the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, raising the prospect of a broader escalation in the conflict.
His comments came after Iran said it had launched attacks against U.S. military bases across the Middle East in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets.
“The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!” the president said on Truth Social. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!”
For weeks, U.S. officials have signaled that a peace deal is near, but talks have been stalled by intermittent fighting. The war began in late February with strikes by the U.S. and Israel that killed a number of Iran’s top leaders.
The renewed conflict began Monday when an Army Apache helicopter crashed off the coast of Oman, shot down by Iran, Trump said.
Two crew members were rescued after the aircraft went down Monday evening while patrolling regional waters.
