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U.S. Forces Strike Another Iran-Linked Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

tanker
A U.S. Navy destroyer patrols the Gulf of Oman (USN file image)

Published Jul 24, 2026 11:55 PM by The Maritime Executive

On Friday, U.S. forces opened fire on a merchant vessel that was attempting to maneuver past the American blockade on Iranian seaports, according to U.S. Central Command. It is the second time since the reimposition of the naval cordon that the U.S. military has used force to disable an Iran-linked ship.

AP's Konstantin Toropin reports that the vessel in question was the merchant tanker "Lavine," a name corresponding to a VLCC with IMO 9177686. Since IMO 9177686 has no AIS history of recent trading in the Mideast, it is possible that the reported name is a case of mistaken identity, name falsification or AIS manipulation. 

CENTCOM claimed that the vessel in question attempted to run the blockade line in the Gulf of Oman multiple times. The crew did not comply with warnings, the spokesperson said, and CENTCOM assets responded by striking the vessel's engine room. Video footage of the strike has not been released.

The attack is the latest strike in a back-and-forth exchange between U.S. and Iranian forces. Both sides have hit multiple vessels, and traffic has dwindled to a trickle on concerns of heightened potential for attacks - and heightened insurance rates. The vast majority of the traffic is using the Iranian-controlled lane past Larak, not the U.S.-controlled route past Oman; many of the vessels are linked to Iranian trade. 

"Strait of Hormuz traffic fell to six confirmed crossings [on July 23], down 60 per cent from the previous day, with all but one vessel using the Iranian Unilateral Scheme," assessed maritime consultancy Kpler. 

"The strait remained disrupted through [overnight July 22-23]. Five vessels crossed the chokepoint: three outbound, two inbound," reported competitor Windward.

"The international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Commercial vessels continue to freely navigate the strait with U.S. military support," claimed U.S. Central Command in a statement.