US Warplane Disables Oil Tanker Evading Iran Blockade in the Gulf of Oman
Muscat, Monday, 8 June 2026.
On June 8, 2026, a US warplane disabled a commercial oil tanker attempting to breach an Iranian blockade in the Gulf of Oman, forcing a 24-person crew evacuation.
A Precision Strike in a Volatile Corridor
The incident unfolded on Monday, June 8, 2026, when an F/A-18 Super Hornet deployed from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the engineering and steering spaces of the MT Marivex [2]. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) authorized the military action after the vessel allegedly ignored directives from US forces and attempted to breach an ongoing blockade against Iran [2]. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) initially recorded the event as “suspicious activity” at 1044 UTC, locating the tanker approximately 27.78 kilometers northeast of Masirah Island, Oman [3]. A fire subsequently broke out on the unladen vessel at 1:30 pm local time [1].
Evasion Tactics and the OFAC Blacklist
The targeted strike was the culmination of what US authorities described as a deliberate pattern of evasion by the MT Marivex [2]. According to an anonymous official source, the vessel had made multiple attempts to bypass US naval warnings in the days leading up to the incident [2]. These evasion tactics included deactivating its tracking signals to remain undetected and navigating through Omani territorial waters to obscure its movements [2]. The vessel is not Indian-owned and is reportedly blacklisted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) [2].
Swift Evacuation Amidst Regional Tensions
The strike and subsequent fire necessitated the immediate evacuation of the 24 Indian seafarers aboard the tanker [1][2]. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) had previously sought urgent assistance for the crew as tensions in the region escalated [2]. Coordinated efforts between Omani authorities, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs ensured the safe rescue of all personnel [1][2][3]. Opesh Kumar Sharma, a director at India’s Shipping Ministry, confirmed the crew’s safety and noted that the ministry has facilitated the repatriation of 3,506 Indian seafarers to date, with those rescued in the last 96 hours representing approximately 0.913 percent of that total [1].