[REVISION HISTORY]

US-Iran maritime conflict in the Gulf of Oman

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2026-10-15 15:43 UTC → 2026-10-16 14:35 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The United States is enforcing a naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, which resumed on July 14. Since the resumption of the blockade, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reports that 135 ships have been turned around and 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shadow network have been destroyed. Four commercial vessels have also been disabled. On October 10, a U.S. military fighter jet used precision munitions to strike the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, disabling its propulsion system after the vessel ignored warnings to comply with the blockade. Concurrently, tensions escalated as the IRGC Navy reported a crude oil supertanker suffered a major fire after allegedly striking a naval mine. On October 6, U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman after determining the vessel was conducting surveillance and targeting American warships. The crew was removed from the vessel prior to its destruction, and repatriation efforts are ongoing. This incident follows reports that the IRGC has utilized small, unarmed vessels to identify targets in an effort to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In response to recent maritime activity, Iran has accused the U.S. of using international maritime safety frequencies to intimidate civilian sailors with ‘threatening language’. CENTCOM has rejected these claims, describing the communications as professional and accusing Iran of being the primary aggressor against civilian mariners in the region. Regional tensions have further escalated following the sinking of the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride near the Strait of Hormuz. While the IRGC claims the vessel sank after striking a naval mine in a restricted zone, CENTCOM and Singaporean authorities report it was struck by an ‘unidentified projectile’.

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