A U.S. aircraft disabled the M/V Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman after officials said the vessel ignored more than 20 warnings tied to the American blockade near the Strait of Hormuz.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. Navy disabled a Gambian-flagged vessel headed toward Iran on Saturday after the ship’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings connected to the American blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, according to information released by U.S. Central Command.
The incident involved the M/V Lian Star, which U.S. forces said was moving through international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward an Iranian port. CENTCOM said the vessel was warned more than 20 times before a U.S. aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room, stopping its movement toward Iran.
“CENTCOM forces observed M/V Lian Star transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman and issued more than 20 warnings while informing the vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted to X and cited in reporting on the incident.
“A U.S. aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room after Lian Star’s crew failed to comply. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran,” the statement said.
CENTCOM said the action marked the latest interdiction since the blockade began in April. According to the command, U.S. naval forces have disabled five ships and redirected 116 others since the operation started.
The blockade remains in effect as negotiations between the United States and Iran were reported to be moving closer to a possible agreement that could end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Under ordinary conditions, roughly 20% of global hydrocarbon exports pass through the waterway.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, speaking Saturday in Singapore, said the blockade is “very much still in place,” according to the provided material.
The reported diplomatic movement came after oil prices dropped sharply Thursday amid news that a possible deal was under discussion.
The incident was also referenced in an X post, and developments surrounding the blockade and oil market reaction were referenced in a second X post.