Gulf of Oman tensions escalate after US disables Iranian-flagged tankers Sea Star III and Sevda

Maritime tensions in the Gulf of Oman intensified after U.S. forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, amid the ongoing enforcement of a U.S.-led maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports.

According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), both unladen tankers were intercepted on 8 May before entering Iranian ports on the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush reportedly fired precision munitions into the vessels’ smokestacks, disabling the ships and preventing further movement.

The incident follows another enforcement action earlier this week involving Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Hasna, which was reportedly disabled after failing to comply with U.S. naval warnings near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM stated that all three vessels are “no longer transiting to Iran.”

The latest developments are part of the broader 2026 maritime security crisis surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial shipping operations have been severely disrupted due to military escalation, sanctions enforcement and naval blockades. Several operators have already rerouted cargoes or suspended Gulf calls amid rising insurance costs and security risks.

Iran strongly condemned the tanker strikes and warned of retaliation against U.S. military assets and commercial interests in the region. Statements from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard indicated that further action against Iranian commercial shipping could trigger direct military response in Gulf waters.

The Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz remain among the world’s most critical maritime energy corridors, handling a major share of global crude oil and LNG shipments. However, the ongoing crisis has sharply reduced commercial vessel movement through the region while increasing pressure on alternative multimodal logistics corridors across the Middle East.