US Navy Fighter Jet Disables Rudder of Iranian-Flagged Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman After Blockade Breach

A US Navy fighter jet disabled the rudder of an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on May 7, 2026 — Day 69 — after the vessel allegedly breached the US naval blockade. CENTCOM confirmed the action, stating the tanker had ignored repeated warnings and entered a restricted maritime zone. The precision strike on the rudder — leaving the ship disabled but not sunk — was characterized by US officials as a proportionate enforcement action under the existing naval blockade authority. Separately, Iran announced the seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on the same day, directing the vessel toward Iran's southern coast — a tit-for-tat action that mirrored prior Iranian seizures of tankers throughout the conflict. The dual incidents in the Gulf of Oman underscored the ongoing friction even as diplomatic negotiations on a ceasefire MOU intensified.