US CENTCOM Forces Disable Blockade-Runner in Gulf of Oman
US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a Gambia-flagged commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on May 31, 2026, after it attempted to bypass a maritime blockade to reach an Iranian port. The U.S. currently maintains a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz intended to restrict Iranian nuclear materials and weapons exports. Following the seizure, Iranian state media claimed their forces shot down an armed US MQ-1 Predator drone over Iranian territorial waters.
Date: May 31, 2026
Location: Oman
Conflict: US-Iran Conflict
Category: naval
Severity: HIGH
Source: The Maritime Executive