Pentagon releases video of US strike on Iranian tankers
US says fighter jets targeted vessels near the Strait of Hormuz during blockade operation
The US military said its forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman after a confrontation with Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation was part of ongoing American blockade measures targeting Iran. The tankers, identified as M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, were reportedly prevented from entering Iranian ports.
Fighter jets used in operation
According to CENTCOM, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush carried out the strikes. The fighter jet fired precision munitions at the tankers’ smokestacks, disabling the vessels without sinking them.
The US military said the ships were “non-compliant” and claimed the action stopped them from continuing towards Iranian territory.
CENTCOM also said American forces redirected 58 commercial vessels operating in the region during the operation.
The latest incident follows a similar operation earlier this month involving another Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna.
According to the US military, the vessel was disabled on May 6 while attempting to reach an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. An F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly fired on the ship’s rudder using a 20mm cannon.
“All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran,” CENTCOM said in its statement.
