Iran's oil tankers disabled

U.S. forces on Friday enforced blockade measures

Two Iranian-flagged, unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing blockade were involved, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The tankers, M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, were reportedly disabled through strikes from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush, preventing them from entering Iran.

U.S. forces also disabled the Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna on May 6, as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, when an F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln disabled the unladen oil tanker's rudder, hitting it with several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun. All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran.

"U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander said Friday. "Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work," he added.

CENTCOM said that multiple commercial vessels have been disabled and more than 50 have been redirected, and announced on Friday that American forces are currently blocking more than 70 oil tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports as part of a sweeping maritime enforcement operation.

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