U.S. military boards Iranian tanker in Gulf of Oman

2 min readUpdated May 20, 2026

The U.S. military boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman this week after the vessel was suspected of attempting to violate the American blockade on Iranian shipping.

According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. Central Command posted on social media identifying the vessel as the M/T Celestial Sea, noting that personnel had inspected the ship and turned it around on suspicion that it was bound for an Iranian port. The boarding marks at least the fifth time a commercial vessel has been seized since the Trump administration imposed the blockade in mid-April.

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Washington launched the blockade a few days after a ceasefire took hold in mid-April, aiming to force Iran's hand on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and coming to terms on ending the war, according to The Associated Press. Prior to that, Tehran had operated a selective passage system, letting vessels it deemed sympathetic through the strait for steep fees — an arrangement critics said amounted to ransoming the world economy.

With Iran holding the Strait of Hormuz shut and American forces enforcing their own blockade along Iran's ports and coast, a total of 1,550 ships representing 87 nations are now trapped inside the Persian Gulf, according to The Associated Press. Fuel prices for American drivers have climbed as a result, with the standoff sending shockwaves through international energy markets.

A Senate measure that would require Trump to pull back from the Iran war cleared a procedural hurdle 50-47, according to The Associated Press, as a contingent of Republicans broke with the president to side with Democrats.

U.S. military boards Iranian-flagged tanker in Gulf of Oman, the 5th vessel seized under blockade

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