The U.S. military disabled the Palau-flagged oil tanker M/T Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, 2026, after it attempted to transport oil from Iran in violation of a naval blockade. A U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions at the vessel’s engine room following its refusal to comply with warnings, marking the second such strike within 48 hours. The previous strike targeted the M/T Marivex, also attempting to reach an Iranian port.

This escalation is part of a broader U.S. Navy blockade that began on April 13, under which U.S. Central Command has disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134, and permitted 42 to proceed. The actions underscore heightened U.S. efforts to restrict Iranian oil movements amid regional tensions.

The strikes follow a separate incident on June 9, when U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes against Iran after an Iranian military unit downed a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near Oman’s coast. Both crew members were rescued safely by a U.S. Navy unmanned vessel. The convergence of these events points to a volatile and rapidly escalating situation in a critical global shipping corridor.