US Navy Disables Iranian Tanker Violating Blockade in Gulf of Oman
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fired its 20 mm cannon to disable the rudder of an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. The tanker, M/T Hasna, was attempting to bypass the US-led blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The ship 'failed to comply' with repeated US military warnings that it was sailing in violation of the blockade, CENTCOM said.
The incident marks the second time in recent weeks that the US Navy has used force to stop an Iranian commercial vessel from evading the blockade. The Super Hornet, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, fired several rounds into the tanker's rudder, rendering it immobile and preventing its transit to an Iranian port.
Last month, a Navy destroyer fired inert rounds into the engine room of another Iranian-flagged vessel attempting to evade the blockade in the Arabian Sea. The blockade of Iran's ports remains in full effect as part of the Trump administration's continued pressure campaign against Tehran.