An Iranian oil tanker is sitting dead in the water today after a U.S. Navy fighter jet opened fire on its steering gear to stop it from breaking a standing blockade. The incident unfolded Wednesday morning at approximately 9 a.m. ET, marking a sharp escalation in enforcement operations within the region.
The encounter began when U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spotted the M/T Hasna, an Iranian-flagged vessel, moving through international waters.
According to military officials, the unladen tanker was on a direct course for an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces reportedly hailed the ship multiple times, issuing a series of formal warnings and notifying the crew that their path was a direct violation of the active U.S. blockade.
When the Hasna ignored those orders and continued its course, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) launched an F/A-18 Super Hornet to intervene.
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The pilot fired several rounds from the aircraft’s 20mm cannon, specifically targeting and disabling the tanker’s rudder. The precision strike successfully neutralized the ship’s ability to steer, ending its transit toward the Iranian coast.
While the vessel remains afloat, it is no longer making way. In a statement following the engagement, CENTCOM reaffirmed that the blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports remains in full effect, noting that their forces “continue to act deliberately and professionally to ensure compliance.”
No injuries were reported during the exchange, and the Hasna currently remains in the Gulf of Oman.
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