The U.S. military said Friday that an American fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers using precision strikes aimed at their smokestacks, underscoring the accuracy of the weapons being deployed in the Gulf conflict.

United States Central Command released video footage it said showed the vessels — the Sea Star III and the Sevda — being struck by a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet after allegedly violating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

The footage showed light smoke initially emerging from the Sea Star III before heavier smoke billowed from the vessel following the strike. In video of the Sevda, flames were visible immediately after impact, followed by thick black smoke rising from the tanker.

CENTCOM said the attacks were carefully targeted and appeared limited to the vessels’ funnel or smokestack areas. The military did not report any casualties or broader structural damage to the ships.

Military analysts  said the fighter jet likely used 500-pound laser-guided bombs to conduct the strikes with such precision.

Defense expert Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer, said the operation demonstrated the capability of modern naval aviation to carry out highly controlled attacks while minimizing wider destruction.

The strikes come amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over control of shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz.