US military disables cargo vessel trying to run the Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026.

American forces have struck a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to breach the US-imposed Iran blockade. The US military confirmed it disabled the cargo ship, marking a dramatic escalation in the enforcement of restrictions on Iranian trade routes.

The vessel was targeted after it attempted to run the blockade, with US forces acting to disable rather than sink the ship.

The strike signals Washington's readiness to use direct military force against commercial shipping defying the Iran embargo.

The Gulf of Oman incident is among the most significant US naval enforcement actions since the blockade was imposed.