At 1:14 a.m., the Gulf of Oman was the setting for a dramatic confrontation.

Aboard the U.S.-flagged oil tanker Vesta Horizon, the civilian captain was suddenly jolted from his routine.

The deafening roar of six high-output outboard engines cut through the humid air as Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast attack craft sped through the dark waters at 50 mph.

On the bridge, the captain’s heart raced as red tracers from 12.7 mm machine guns stitched a jagged line across the hull of his vessel.

Panic set in as he transmitted a mayday call: “Mayday, mayday. This is Vesta Horizon. We are being boarded!”