In a tense maritime encounter on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, a U.S.-flagged commercial tanker successfully resisted an interception attempt by Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats while navigating the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. According to a detailed report from British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech, the vessel Stena Imperative was transiting approximately 16 nautical miles north of Omani waters when it was approached by three pairs of small, armed Iranian patrol boats.
The Iranian forces initiated radio contact, issuing a direct command for the tanker’s captain to halt engines and prepare for a boarding operation. Defying these orders, the captain instead increased speed and held the ship’s original course, a move that ultimately prevented the boarding. Vanguard Tech emphasized that the Stena Imperative at no point entered Iranian territorial waters during the incident, operating solely in international shipping lanes.
The situation was subsequently de-escalated with the arrival of a U.S. warship, which commenced escort duties for the commercial tanker. This event echoes previous tensions in the chokepoint, a critical artery for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport. The confrontation occurs against a backdrop of heightened rhetoric; just last week, a senior Iranian naval official from the Revolutionary Guards publicly threatened to block the strait in retaliation for any potential U.S. military action. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also acknowledged an incident in the area but did not disclose the identities of the vessels involved.