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The United States military announced on Friday that its forces intercepted and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers attempting to bypass the ongoing American maritime blockade.
This latest confrontation brings the total number of vessels forcibly halted by Washington to four since the blockade was officially established on April 13.
The enforcement action follows the collapse of diplomatic negotiations in Pakistan last month, which failed to produce a peace agreement.
During the engagement, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet targeted the M/T Sea Star III and the M/T Sevda.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the fighter jet utilised precision munitions to strike the ships’ smokestacks, a tactic designed to neutralise the vessels’ propulsion without sinking them.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 8, 2026
CENTCOM shared footage of the strikes on social media, confirming that the intervention successfully prevented the ships from entering Iranian ports.
This operation is part of an intensifying series of maritime enforcement in the region.
Earlier in the week, another F/A-18 used its 20mm cannon to disable the rudder of the M/T Hasna.
These actions follow an April 19 incident where a U.S. destroyer disabled the M/V Touska with its five-inch gun after the crew ignored several warnings.
The blockade serves as a strategic response to Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, which occurred shortly after U.S. and Israeli air operations began in late February.
