CENTCOM said it targeted the rudder of the M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman with an M61 Vulcan cannon to prevent the jet from reaching Iran as part of the U.S. blockade.
According to an official statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the engagement took place at 09:00 Eastern Time (14:00 UTC) on May 6, 2026. U.S. troops observed the M/T Hasna, a 333-meter-long oil tanker under the Iranian flag sailing from the Gulf of Oman toward an Iranian port.
After ignoring several warnings, the ship was targeted by F/A-18 Super Hornets operating from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The United States claims the attack disabled the ship’s rudder, meaning it could no longer complete its voyage to Iran.
The aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) is one of a large contingent of U.S. warships, aircraft, and troops carrying out a comprehensive U.S. naval blockade of Iran. So far, 52 merchant ships have been told to change course or return to port to comply with regulations. pic.twitter.com/YtP3EC47Vt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 6, 2026
The United States has officially implemented a naval blockade of Iran since April 13, 2026, but a previously agreed ceasefire between the two countries remains in effect. The United States has publicly banned several ships and insisted that more ships abandon their voyages to Iran, but it is believed that a number of ships have been able to breach the blockade. As far as is publicly known, this new incident marks the first time aircraft have been used to directly disable a ship as part of a blockade.
After six hours of tracking and multiple warnings, 🇺🇸USS Spruance fired 5-inch MK 45 guns at the sanctioned 🇮🇷 Iranian container ship MV Touska, which refused to stop while en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran.
At least three bullets were fired into the engine room, causing the engine to shut down… pic.twitter.com/Pf9tjTwpwi
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) April 20, 2026
The M/T Hasna was assessed by the U.S. military at the time as unladen and most likely intended to load oil from Iranian ports. This would have been a key part of the risk assessment carried out before approving the use of kinetic weapons against ships.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed this at a press conference last May. 5 Despite increased aggressive actions, the ceasefire remains in effect. Earlier this week, U.S. military helicopters engaged and destroyed six small Iranian-owned ships as part of ongoing efforts to protect civilian and allied military vessels. “We followed through on our commitment and launched the drones against the commercial vessels, and then small boats all fired up against the commercial vessels and all were sunk by Apache and Seahawk helicopters,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
A day earlier, President Donald Trump announced ‘Project Freedom’, which he said would maintain a defensive umbrella to protect merchant ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz gateway.
This article is about a developing story and may be updated as new details become available.
