On Friday, American forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged tanker M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman. A missile was fired directly into the vessel’s engine room to halt its advance. This maritime confrontation is a direct continuation of the US-Israel-Iran war, which began on February 28 with Operation Epic Fury. After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to Israeli allies, President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade to restrict Iranian oil revenues.
According to Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, the Lavine ignored repeated warnings. The ship attempted to breach the restricted zone at least four times before military personnel intervened, according to statements from the command. Following the initial strike, Al Jazeera reported that the military released video footage showing forces boarding a separate vessel.
CENTCOM subsequently confirmed that personnel boarded the Comoros-flagged tanker Charminar in the Arabian Sea. That vessel was allowed to proceed after its cargo was inspected. Since the second iteration of the blockade was reinstated on July 14, following the collapse of peace negotiations in Islamabad, US forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to sail through the zone.
The disabling of the Lavine marks the second time a commercial ship has been forcibly stopped this month. On July 15, American forces intercepted and disabled the Curacao-flagged tanker Belma under similar circumstances.
Regional maritime risks are expanding rapidly beyond the Gulf of Oman. Working in tandem with the Hormuz crisis, Houthi forces are actively targeting Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. They are disrupting traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. As the military standoff enters its 13th night of US strikes on Iran, American embassies across the Middle East have proactively alerted citizens that travel options could rapidly disappear.