Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) gunboats reportedly fired on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to an advisory released by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), on Saturday Apr. 18, 2026.
The warning said the organization had received a direct notification from the ship’s master, who reported being approached by two IRGC gunboats some 20 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. No radio warning was said to have been issued before the tanker, whose identity was not disclosed, came under fire.
UKMTO WARNING 037-26 – ATTACK Report Date:18 Apr 2026 Report Time: 0920UTC Issue Date:18 Apr 2026 Source: Master UKMTO has received a report of an incident 20NM northeast of OMAN. The Master of a Tanker reports being approached by 2 IRGC gun boats, no VHF challenge that then fired upon the tanker. Tanker and crew are reported safe. Authorities are investigating.
During today’s attack agaisnt an Indian tanker by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, it seems though the vessel was initially heading outbound, but was refused by the IRGC. The vessel is then seen heading inbound towards the Gulf again, but then turns off AIS and makes a run for it… pic.twitter.com/EK5pQaJvwm
— Martin Kelly (@_MartinKelly_) April 18, 2026
The episode comes as Tehran has reimposed tight restrictions on shipping through the Strait, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday Apr. 17, 2026 that the U.S. blockade on vessels using Iranian ports would continue. According to CENTCOM, 23 ships were forced to turn back since the blockade was enforced.
Littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) patrols the Arabian Sea during the U.S. blockade. Since commencement of the blockade, 23 ships have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around. American forces are enforcing a maritime blockade against ships entering or… pic.twitter.com/PMIBOoeJXS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 18, 2026
In a post on Saturday, the official X account of the IRGC Navy Command said that “Every breach of promise by America will be met with a fitting response. As long as the passage of vessels from Iranian origin to Iranian destination remains under threat, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in its previous state. By the will of Allah.”
هر نقض عهدی از سوی امریکا، پاسخی شایسته دارد.
تا زمانی که تردد شناورها از مبدأ ایران و به مقصد ایران مورد تهدید باشد، وضعیت تنگه هرمز به حالت قبلی باقی میماند. باذن الله
— فرماندهی نیروی دریایی سپاه (@niroo_daryayi) April 18, 2026
The statement capped a confused 24 hours in which Tehran first said the Strait of Hormuz had reopened and then moved to reimpose restrictions that effectively closed it again.
As the news of attacks on vessels in the Strait started to circulate (two Indian vessels were fired upon by IRGC Navy watercraft in the Strait and forced to turn back), U.S. Central Command released some interesting shots of U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters patrolling the waterway (actually the photos were probably taken as the aircraft were inbound the area rather than above it, somewhere off the coast of Oman or UAE).
AH-64 Apaches fly above the Strait of Hormuz during a patrol, April 17. U.S. Army Soldiers are flying in and around the strait providing a visible presence in support of freedom of navigation. pic.twitter.com/6K6cuCoqq2
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 18, 2026
On Mar. 19, 2026, during a Pentagon press briefing, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II jets supporting Operation Epic Fury had begun operating on the southern flank, targeting fast attack craft in the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that AH-64 Apache gunships were hunting one-way attack drones in the same area.
Alongside fast jets, the AH-64 is very well suited for such maritime patrol missions as it a platform combining persistence, precise sensors and a flexible weapons mix that allow the gunship helicopter to counter fast watercraft as well as OWA drones that might be launched against oil tankers and ships in a crowded littoral environment. As recent U.S. Army counter-UAS demonstrations have shown, the AH-64E can detect, track and defeat drones with multiple weapons, including the 30 mm M230 chain gun, APKWS-guided 70 mm rockets, HELLFIRE variants and even JAGM, offering crews scalable options depending on range, target size and collateral-risk considerations.
The helicopter is also well equipped on the sensor side, pairing electro-optical and infrared sights with the mast-mounted AN/APG-78 Longbow radar, which is designed to rapidly detect, classify and prioritize large numbers of contacts. In the Strait of Hormuz, where threats may include small one-way attack drones, fast attack craft and other fleeting, hard-to-sort targets, that combination makes the Apache a credible hunter-killer platform: it can build situational awareness, share data across networks, and engage everything from low, slow aerial threats to small hostile boats with direct fire, guided rockets or heavier missiles, depending on the tactical picture.
Vendredi 17 avril 2026 à 18 heures au campus Malesherbes (amphithéâtre 128) au 108, boulevard Malesherbes 75017 Paris
- Agenda / Monténégro, Région parisienneVendredi 17 avril 2026 à 18 heures au campus Malesherbes (amphithéâtre 128) au 108, boulevard Malesherbes 75017 Paris
- Agenda / Monténégro, Région parisienneAfter reports said that a third installation in the Top Gun saga is in the works, following 2022’s hugely successful Top Gun: Maverick, that project is now confirmed, along with Tom Cruise returning as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Variety reported along with other publications. Paramount studios made the official announcement during the annual CinemaCon presentation, with Jerry Bruckheimer also back as producer.
Bruckheimer previously said in 2024 that Tom Cruise liked the storyline that was being prepared for the next one. “We pitched Tom a story he liked. But he’s a very in-demand actor and he’s got a lot of movies lined up, so we have to wait and see,” said Bruckheimer.
Top Gun: Maverick also featured among the new characters Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) and best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. In the story, Maverick had returned to the famous Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island to school a bunch of young fighter pilots for a daring mission.
‘Top Gun 3’ Officially in the Works With Tom Cruise Returning https://t.co/0sTeLBQMZ3
— Variety (@Variety) April 16, 2026
These pilots are training for an upcoming mission to destroy a Uranium enrichment plant in a foreign country, defended by “fifth gen fighters” represented by Su-57s. Top Gun: Maverick grossed $1.5 billion at the global box office, against a $170 million budget for the production.
Top Gun’s realismU.S. and Western war movies are largely realistic in terms of equipment, setting and art direction, primarily owing to the close ties between the military, industry and movie makers. This allows permissions to shoot on and use actual military equipment like jets, tanks, warships, military bases and aircraft carriers to be acquired easily.
Second is the lead in graphic design, computer technology and overall financial resources, bringing them closer to real-world military affairs. However, as is the norm about symbiotic relationship between a film industry and national politics, both the Top Gun movies had their share of propaganda, and invariably some technical errors/inauthencies, which one might not expect in a film created in cooperation with the U.S. Navy.
A still from Top Gun: Maverick showing F/A-18 Super Hornet flying at low altitude. | Source: ParamountSome of the inaccuracies were listed in a 2019 article titled “79 Cringeworthy Errors in ‘Top Gun’” for Military.com by former F-14 RIO and journalist Ward Carrol. Among them was the famous fly-by with Maverick buzzing the air traffic control tower, which in real life would have likely resulted in immediate revocation of his flight status.
Another major one was using F-5 Tigers to represent Russian MiGs, which can however be justified as access to the legendary fighters was not possible with the Cold War still three years away from ending. It’s a different matter that the U.S. military got Su-27s and MiG-29s from former Soviet countries, Ukraine being one of them.
Other technical flaws ranged from rank insignia on uniforms inconsistent with officers’ billets and class to instrumentation and cockpit layout in the pilot and RIO seats. Some maneuvers were also not accurate, particularly the inverted photo of the MiG as the design of the F-14 wouldn’t have allowed that in the first place. For instance, its vertical stabilizers would have stabbed into the MiG’s top fuselage, given how close the cockpits were.
The F-14 Tomcat and the 5th gen fighter, the Su-57, in Top Gun: Maverick. | Source: Paramount Top Gun: Maverick and Top Gun 3Top Gun: Maverick was a box office hit, resoundingly receiving the stamp of approval from fans of the original film. Particularly, the makers incorporated the late Val Kilmer’s real-life cancer into his character Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, and his relationship with Maverick evolving into mutual respect, professional and personal, hit closer to home.
The biggest fictional element was the Darkstar Hypersonic Aircraft, which was specifically designed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division for the film. As the original one, this movie too could not escape some technical inaccuracies.
Among them is the final strike mission, showing the site defended by Cold War-era S125 Neva/Pechora (SA-3 Goa) missiles despite the presence of 5th gen fighters. A location like that would have a layered integrated air defense, like S-300s and Buk-M1s (for medium range) and S-400s as a long-range theater-level anti-air battery.
Film director Joseph Kosinski poses with the Darkstar mockup, with Tom Cruise inside the cockpit. | Source: Lockheed MartinWe are far from knowing what real-world adversary aircraft will be incorporated in Top Gun 3. Inaccuracies aside, the movie is sure to be an exciting watch, for pilots, audiences, and aviation nerds alike.
Lt. Pete Mitchell was a Navy Captain in Top Gun: Maverick. Time will tell which new role he will assume in the new film, maybe finally getting promoted to a Rear Admiral and passing the torch to “Rooster.”