US military disables tanker 'M/T Lavine' in Gulf of Oman after it tried four times to run Iran blockade
Centcom said the vessel, M/T Lavine, was fired upon in the engine room in the Gulf of Oman, marking the second such enforcement action since the naval blockade was reimposed in mid-July.
Incident in the Gulf of Oman
On 24 July 2026, the US military fired on the tanker M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel's crew made at least four attempts to breach the naval blockade on Iranian ports. A spokesman for US Central Command (Centcom) said the ship was struck in its engine room, leaving it disabled and adrift. No casualties were reported, and the crew's condition was not immediately disclosed. The M/T Lavine was en route to an Iranian port when it ignored warnings and attempted to evade the blockade, according to a US government official. Centcom said the action was taken to enforce the prohibition on vessels accessing Iranian harbors.
The renewed naval blockade
The United States reinstated a maritime blockade of Iranian ports in mid-July 2026, aiming to deny Tehran revenue from oil exports. 'No ship will be allowed to call at or depart from Iranian ports,' Centcom has stated. Since the blockade's reimposition, US forces have intercepted multiple vessels. By Wednesday of this week, one tanker had already been disabled by direct fire, and several other ships were forced to alter their course. The M/T Lavine is the second tanker to be put out of commission in this manner. The blockade is a central pillar of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Iran.
From framework agreement to renewed escalation
The naval blockade was first imposed in mid-April 2026, weeks after the United States and Israel began a military campaign against Iran on 28 February. It was lifted in mid-June when Washington and Tehran reached a framework agreement. That agreement subsequently collapsed, and the blockade was reinstated in mid-July. The M/T Lavine incident is the second time a tanker has been disabled since the reimposition.
- USA and Israel begin war against Iran.
- US imposes naval blockade on Iranian ports.
- Blockade lifted under framework agreement with Tehran.
- Blockade reimposed as agreement collapses.
- First tanker disabled; several others forced to divert course.
- M/T Lavine disabled in Gulf of Oman after four evasion attempts.
Trump: 'We'll see what happens'
Speaking to reporters at the White House on 24 July, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that his administration is engaged in talks with Iran. 'We are talking to them. I think they are serious. I think... they are showing themselves to be as serious as they ever have been, but that does not mean we will achieve our goal. We'll see what happens,' Trump said. He offered cautious language but stressed that Tehran is not yet prepared to reach a settlement. His remarks came hours before Centcom announced the M/T Lavine incident, illustrating the gap between diplomacy and military operations. The ongoing conversations, described by Trump as the most serious engagement yet, have so far failed to halt the cycle of escalation.
