F/A-18 Disables Sea Star III and Sevda: US Navy Opens Second Front in Gulf of Oman May 8, 2026

# F/A-18 Disables Sea Star III and Sevda: US Navy Opens Second Front in Gulf of Oman May 8, 2026

> **Quick answer:** On May 8, 2026, US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets launched precision munitions directly into the smokestacks of two Iranian Very Large Crude Carriers — M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda — as they attempted to reach Jask port in the Gulf of Oman in violation of the US blockade. Combined with the earlier sinking of 7 Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz, May 8 became a dual-theater escalation day. Trump warned Iran it would face retaliation "a lot harder, and a lot more violently" if it does not sign the unsigned MOU.

The blockade of Iran has expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz. On May 8, 2026, US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled Iranian oil tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda using a precision smokestack strike technique in the Gulf of Oman — opening a second enforcement theater and signaling that Iran cannot route tanker traffic around the Hormuz choke point to evade interdiction.

**This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personal financial decisions.**

## What Happened: F/A-18 Smokestack Strikes Near Jask Port

US Central Command confirmed that US forces "disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing US blockade."