Pentagon Releases Video of F/A-18 Bombing Iranian Tankers’ Smokestacks in the Gulf of Oman

Day 70 of the Iran war. Friday, May 8, 2026. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)dropped precision-guided munitions down the smokestacks of two Iranian-flagged crude oil tankers — M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda— as the vessels attempted to enter an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman in violation of the U.S. naval blockade. U.S. Central Command released the cockpit and targeting video the same day. Both tankers were disabled. Neither sank.

The strikes were the fourth and fifth tanker-disabling actions under the blockade that took effect April 13, 2026, and the third and fourth times the Pentagon released footage of the enforcement actions publicly. Both tankers had turned off their Automatic Identification System (AIS)transponders weeks earlier — Sevda was last tracked in the Strait of Malacca 27 days before the strike; Sea Star III had been dark for more than 35 days from the same general area — indicating they were running Iran’s “dark fleet” evasion corridor before attempting to slip back into an Iranian port.

The strikes came 24 hours after Iranian forces launched missiles, drones, and fast-attack small boats at three U.S. guided-missile destroyers — USS Truxtun (DDG-103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115), and USS Mason (DDG-87)— transiting the Strait of Hormuz on May 7. CENTCOM conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian military sites at Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in response. The tanker interdictions on May 8 were a separate enforcement action, not a retaliatory strike.

• 2tankers disabledM/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda — Iranian-flagged crude oil tankers, both unladen. Gulf of Oman, May 8, 2026.
• 1aircraftF/A-18 Super Hornet from Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) — Carrier Strike Group 10.
• 2smokestacks bombedPrecision munitions directed down each vessel's exhaust stack — disabling propulsion and machinery without sinking the ships.
• 57ships redirectedCommercial vessels turned around by CENTCOM under the blockade as of May 8. Over 70 tankers blocked from Iranian ports total.
• $13B+in oil blocked166 million barrels of Iranian oil capacity aboard the blockaded vessels — estimated market value per CENTCOM.

They turned off their transponders in the Malacca Strait and ran dark for a month.

M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevdaare both Iranian-flagged crude oil tankers. Sevda (IMO 9172040) is a Suezmax-class vessel registered under Iranian flag, with MMSI 422170000 and call sign EPA3023. Both vessels had been operating as part of Iran’s “dark fleet” — a network of tankers that disable their AIS transponders to evade international monitoring while carrying sanctioned Iranian oil.

Sevda was last detected in the Strait of Malacca 27 days before the May 8 strike. Sea Star III was last tracked in the same general area more than 35 days prior. Tracking firms Windward.ai and TankerTrackers.com have documented a well-worn Iranian evasion corridor: tankers steam from the Persian Gulf without broadcasting AIS signals until they reach the Malacca Strait roughly 10 days after passing Fujairah (UAE), then go fully dark before attempting re-entry into Iranian waters. On May 8, both vessels surfaced in the Gulf of Oman approaching an Iranian port — and were intercepted.

A precision munition down a ship’s exhaust stack. No explosion visible on deck. Both vessels dead in the water.

The Pentagon video shows a single F/A-18 Super Hornet conducting a precision attack on each tanker in sequence. The munition — analyzed by The War Zone as likely a 500-lb laser-guided bomb, possibly inert or with a reduced charge — was directed down the vessel’s smokestack. The effect: the exhaust system and engine room below are destroyed, disabling the ship’s propulsion and power generation without detonating the cargo hold. Both vessels were carrying unladen crude oil tanks at the time, reducing the explosion risk.

This tactic — designed to disable rather than sink — has become CENTCOM’s standard blockade enforcement method after earlier cannon-fire engagements. On May 6, a Super Hornet from the same carrier group fired its 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon at M/T Hasna’s rudder, disabling steering on that vessel. The smokestack approach for Sea Star III and Sevda is the next evolution: more certain engine-room kill, less risk of damaging the hull or setting off a fuel fire. The War Zone: “The use of bombs dropped down a ship’s smokestack to disable but not destroy a ship is new.”

“US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran. Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work.”

Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander, U.S. Central Command — May 8–9, 2026

Carrier Strike Group 10. The third carrier in the CENTCOM area of operations.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet that struck both tankers is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 10 (CSG-10). CSG-10 departed Naval Station Norfolk on March 31, 2026 and arrived in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility on April 23, making it the third carrier strike group present in the region alongside Carrier Strike Group 3 (USS Abraham Lincoln) and Carrier Strike Group 12 (USS Gerald R. Ford).

The three-carrier posture gives CENTCOM simultaneous air coverage across the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. CSG-10’s air wing flies F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler electronic-attack aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, and supporting helicopters. CENTCOM’s Project Freedom operation additionally deploys AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawkhelicopters, F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s from regional land bases — over 100 aircraft total across the blockade enforcement force, backed by 15,000 service members.

70 tankers blocked. 57 turned around. 4 disabled. 166 million barrels on ice.

The U.S. naval blockade of Iran took effect on April 13, 2026, by direction of President Donald Trump under the command of Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command. The executive order directed that no vessels enter or depart Iranian ports without U.S. authorization. By May 8, CENTCOM had redirected 57 commercial ships and disabled four Iranian tankers attempting to breach the closure.

The four disabled vessels in sequence: M/T Hasna (May 6, 20mm cannon, rudder disabled); M/T Sea Star III (May 8, smokestack bomb); and M/T Sevda (May 8, smokestack bomb). A fourth vessel was interdicted in an earlier action. CENTCOM reported on May 9 that the force has simultaneously prevented over 70 commercial tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports, representing a combined cargo capacity of over 166 million barrels of Iranian crude oil worth an estimated $13 billion at market rates.

The day before: Iranian missiles, drones, and boats attacked three U.S. destroyers in the Strait.

On May 7, 2026, three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers — USS Truxtun (DDG-103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115), and USS Mason (DDG-87)— transited the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman under Project Freedom. Iranian forces opened fire with missiles, drones, and a coordinated fast-attack small boat assault. CENTCOM intercepted every inbound projectile. No U.S. vessels were struck. CENTCOM then conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control nodes, and intelligence and surveillance positions at Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island. Six Iranian small boats were eliminated during the engagement.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. tanker strikes on May 8 as a violation of the ceasefire and claimed American forces targeted a vessel moving from Iranian coastal waters toward the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (D-affiliated, Iranian Foreign Ministry) stated: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.” CENTCOM described both tanker strikes as blockade enforcement actions, not retaliatory operations.

CENTCOM’s mission: restore commercial navigation. Iran’s mission: prevent it.

Project Freedomlaunched on May 4, 2026, under CENTCOM direction to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran effectively closed the waterway following the collapse of Islamabad peace talks in early April. The operation is not a traditional naval convoy escort — rather, CENTCOM mapped a narrow cleared corridor through the Strait and uses aviation and maritime assets to provide aircover while commercial vessels self-transit. The force includes guided-missile destroyers, over 100 aircraft (AH-64 Apaches, MH-60 Seahawks, F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, EA-18G Growlers), multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.

The operation was temporarily paused on May 5 amid Iranian threats, then briefly suspended again on May 6 by President Trump, who cited “great progress” toward a possible agreement. By May 8, operations had resumed. Two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels had successfully transited under Project Freedom by the time the tanker strikes occurred. Analysts at Breaking Defense noted Project Freedom “unlikely to pay off in Strait of Hormuz right away” given the continuing risk to commercial ships from Iranian action.

“We'll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, if they don't sign a deal fast.”

President Donald Trump, responding to Iranian attacks on U.S. destroyers — May 8, 2026

A 14-point peace document on the table. Iran has not answered. The blockade does not pause.

The original two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was announced on April 8, 2026, mediated by Pakistan. It has since been extended indefinitely, with both sides trading fire while simultaneously maintaining a notional ceasefire framework. As of May 8, the United States had delivered to Iran a 14-point peace document requiring: no nuclear weapon development, a halt to all uranium enrichment for at least 12 years, limits on ballistic missile programs, restrictions on proxy group support, and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international commerce. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on May 8 that the U.S. expected an Iranian response by the end of the day.

Iran had not delivered a formal response by publication. Iranian officials pushed back on the U.S. terms, with Foreign Minister Araghchi framing each U.S. military action as an obstacle to negotiation. IRGC-affiliated media announced Iran would not participate in further negotiations over “excessive demands.” The blockade continues in full effect. The IRGC — now effectively running Iran’s national security apparatus in place of the incapacitated Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — has separately indicated it views the blockade as a casus belli, not a negotiating pressure point.

A clinical summary

On May 8, 2026 — Day 70 of the Iran war — a single U.S. Navy Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush, flying from Carrier Strike Group 10, disabled two Iranian crude oil tankers by dropping precision munitions down their exhaust stacks. The Pentagon posted the video. Both tankers had been running dark for weeks. Neither sank. Neither will deliver its cargo.

This is the enforcement mechanism of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran. CENTCOM has redirected 57 commercial ships, disabled 4 Iranian tankers, and blocked access to over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth more than $13 billion. Iran is simultaneously bombing U.S. destroyers, condemning U.S. tanker strikes as ceasefire violations, and not responding to the U.S. peace proposal. The IRGC is running Iran. The blockade does not move.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply. It has been functionally closed to normal commerce since Iran shut it in April 2026. Project Freedom has reopened a narrow corridor — under fighter-jet and helicopter escort — for commercial vessels willing to transit under fire risk. The oil industry is watching. Markets are watching. Iran is watching. So is the camera mounted to the targeting pod of a Super Hornet at 15,000 feet.