U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that a U.S. Navy fighter jet intercepted and disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker, the Hasna, after the vessel repeatedly ignored warnings to cease its course toward an Iranian port.
The incident marks a significant escalation in the enforcement of the U.S.-led maritime blockade currently in effect in the region.
The Interception
According to the official statement from CENTCOM, U.S. forces had been monitoring the Hasna as it sailed through international waters in the Gulf of Oman. Naval officials issued multiple radio warnings to the vessel, informing the crew that they were in direct violation of the standing American blockade.
Despite these warnings, the tanker maintained its course. In response, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, was deployed to carry out a “kinetic disabling maneuver.”
Precision Strike on Navigation
The fighter jet utilized its 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon to target a specific point of the ship’s infrastructure.
- Target: The ship’s rudder.
- Objective: To render the vessel unsteerable without causing a total loss of the ship or a catastrophic environmental spill.
- Outcome: CENTCOM reports that the tanker’s steering mechanism was destroyed, and the ship is no longer able to continue its trajectory toward Iran.
Regional Tensions and the Blockade
The blockade, which has been intensified throughout 2025 and early 2026, aims to restrict Iran’s ability to export petroleum products and import dual-use technologies. This latest confrontation comes at a time of heightened naval presence in the Middle East, with the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group leading patrols to ensure maritime security and sanction compliance.
Following the strike, the Hasna is reportedly adrift in international waters. While no casualties among the tanker’s crew have been reported, Iranian state media has labeled the strike an “act of piracy.” U.S. officials, however, maintain that the action was a necessary and proportional response to a clear breach of international enforcement measures.
