The US military struck the Marivex tanker in the Gulf of Oman Monday, firing a precision munition into its engineering spaces. The vessel was crewed by 24 Indian nationals and attempting to sail toward Iran as Washington enforces a blockade of Islamic Republic ports. The American fighter jet targeted the ship after it twice approached the US blockade line extending from Oman to Iran-Pakistan border, according to Central Command.

The 12,800 deadweight tons tanker, owned by Panama-based Arihant Shipping Inc., had previously been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department under its former name. Ship-tracking data showed Marivex recently delivered cargo from Iran's Shahid Rajaee port to Mangalore and Karwar in India. The vessel flies falsely to Madagascar, a flag typically used to obscure true ownership.

The strike represents Washington's intensified pressure campaign against Iran. Since April, US forces have disabled seven non-compliant vessels and redirected 134 ships attempting to breach the blockade. Iran exported 14 million tons of fuel oil last year, with most going to UAE, while also delivering 734,000 tons of bitumen asphalt, primarily to China and India, according to Kpler data.