US Strikes Oil Tanker Heading to Iran
The United States has reported firing a missile that struck and disabled an unladen oil tanker en route to Iran, as part of its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (Centcom) stated that a US aircraft launched a Hellfire missile targeting the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T vessel after the crew "ignored repeated warnings."
Centcom also released footage purportedly showing the moment the tanker was hit on Tuesday. Iran has not issued any public comments regarding the incident.
Details of the Blockade Enforcement
The US military began enforcing a blockade on all vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports on 13 April.
In its statement, Centcom said US forces "enforced blockade measures against Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie as it transited international waters toward Kharg Island."
It further noted that the ship's crew had failed "to comply with directions from US forces multiple times over a 24-hour period."
Since the blockade's implementation, six commercial vessels have been disabled and another 122 redirected, according to Centcom.
The BBC has reached out to Botswana's government for comment on the matter.
