US strikes another tanker near Oman amid Iranian port blockade

US forces have struck and disabled another oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of their blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command. The latest incident was reported on Thursday morning near Sohar, Oman, where the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said a tanker fire had been reported 21 nautical miles northeast of the port. The vessel was said to be attempting to move oil through the Gulf of Oman when it was hit.

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CENTCOM said a US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces. The strike was described as the third by the US this week and the ninth since the blockade began. The timing given by CENTCOM placed the attack at about 4:20am CEST on Thursday, and the military said the ship was disabled in the operation.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it had received the report of fire near Sohar, while the Indian embassy in Oman said the Omani navy was evacuating crew members. British marine security firm Vanguard said the tanker had 20 crew on board. The row of incidents has already drawn concern because commercial crews are being caught in military action at sea, with ships flagged in one country and crewed by nationals of others.

The latest strike follows a similar attack the day before off the coast of Oman, when CENTCOM said a US warplane fired precision munitions into the engine room of the Palau-flagged MT Settebello after repeated non-compliance. India later summoned the senior US diplomat in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest after that attack left three Indian crewmembers missing, and those three sailors have since been confirmed dead. On Monday, a US F-18 Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln hit and disabled the Palau-flagged MT Marivex in the Gulf of Oman under the same stated basis.

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The incidents are part of a wider maritime enforcement campaign in a strategically important waterway. The US military has said that since the blockade began on 13 April, it has redirected 135 ships that complied and allowed 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass. The same account says Tehran stopped cargo ship traffic through the key route at the beginning of the war on 28 February, while the US has imposed its own blockade on Iranian vessels and ports.

That makes the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz central to both regional security and global energy flows. What remains unclear is the full condition of the crew on the latest tanker, the extent of damage to the vessel, and whether there will be any further official response from Oman, India or the United States beyond the statements already issued. It is also not clear whether the latest strike will prompt additional diplomatic pressure or affect shipping patterns in the area.

The next developments to watch are any confirmation of casualties or evacuations, and whether the blockade leads to further incidents at sea.

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