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US forces fired a missile on Tuesday at a ship attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of an American blockade, disabling the vessel.
The unladen, Botswana-flagged oil tanker, M/T Lexie, ignored repeated warnings over 24 hours before an American warplane fired a Hellfire missile directly into its engine room.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) did not clarify if the strike caused any casualties, but the action marks the sixth time Washington has forcibly halted a ship since the blockade began on April 13.
This strike follows a series of similar enforcement actions by the American military in recent weeks.
Last Friday, CENTCOM forces disabled a Gambia-flagged cargo vessel that failed to comply with orders.
On May 8, US forces fired munitions down the smokestacks of two Iranian-flagged tankers, just two days after a warplane used its 20mm cannon to destroy the rudder of another Iranian-flagged ship.
Additionally, on April 19, an Iranian-flagged vessel ignored multiple warnings from a US destroyer, prompting the American warship to order the crew to evacuate the engine room before blasting it with a five-inch gun.
The ongoing naval confrontation stems from escalating regional conflict and failed diplomacy.
Tehran’s forces effectively closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a vital global route for oil and gas shipments—following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
The United States subsequently announced its total blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough in April.
