Key facts
- U.S. forces disabled the M/T Marivex oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
- The tanker was attempting to sail to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
- An F/A-18 Super Hornet fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces.
- The vessel had 24 Indian crew members, all of whom were reported safe and rescued.
- A fire was reported on the vessel after it was disabled.
U.S. forces disabled an unladen oil tanker, the M/T Marivex, in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port, violating an ongoing blockade. U.S. Central Command stated that an F/A-18 Super Hornet fired a precision munition into the ship's engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions. The tanker, flagged in Palau, is no longer sailing to Iran. India's shipping ministry confirmed that the vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board, all of whom were safe and have been rescued with the help of Omani authorities. A fire was reported on the vessel, but its cause is not immediately known. The tanker had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and had made multiple attempts to evade warnings and run past the blockade, including using Omani territorial waters. The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began in April.