US forces disable Iranian tanker violating blockade near Gulf of Oman
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
US forces disable Iranian tanker violating blockade near Gulf of Oman
15 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 6
Centcom said the Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna was hit in the rudder by rounds from a fighter launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln after repeated warnings on Wednesday.
The empty oil tanker was sailing through international waters toward an Iranian port when US forces intervened, and it is no longer transiting to Iran.
The action underscores that the US blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports remains in force, with the incident occurring near the Strait of Hormuz.
With global oil markets in chaos, what is the ultimate endgame for the US naval blockade against Iran?
As US and Iranian forces trade fire in the Gulf, what single event could ignite an all-out regional war?
May 6, 2026: U.S. Forces Disable Iranian Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman, Escalating Regional Conflict
Overview
On May 6, 2026, a U.S. F/A-18 disabled the Iranian tanker M/T Hasna after it ignored blockade warnings, following a similar April 19 interdiction of the Iranian cargo ship Touska. The U.S. naval blockade, enforced since April 13, had already redirected 52 commercial vessels and caused tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to collapse by 90%. These actions, combined with Iran blocking nearly all non-Iranian Gulf shipping, have driven global oil prices up by about 50%, pushing U.S. petrol prices to $4.44 per gallon. Iran condemned these seizures as piracy, while the blockade challenges freedom of navigation and deepens Iran's economic hardship, heightening regional tensions and risks of escalation.