The United States military said it fired a Hellfire missile at a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the ship allegedly ignored repeated warnings and continued moving towards an Iranian port despite an ongoing US naval blockade.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Gambia-flagged vessel Lian Star was hit in its engine room while "transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman", per a report by Hindustan Times.
The strike comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran despite a fragile ceasefire currently in place.
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US says vessel ignored repeated warnings
In a statement issued Saturday quoted by HT, CENTCOM claimed the cargo ship ignored "more than 20 warnings" overnight from US forces, which allegedly informed the vessel it was violating the American blockade on Iranian ports.
After repeated attempts to stop the ship, US forces launched a Hellfire missile targeting the engine room, effectively disabling the vessel.
CENTCOM later stated that the ship was "no longer transiting to Iran" but did not disclose additional operational details.
A US official familiar with the incident told the Associated Press that the vessel remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman and had not been boarded by American forces.
Sixth ship intercepted under blockade
The latest action marks the sixth known interception under the US-led blockade launched in April.
According to an AP report citing the US military, more than 116 vessels have been redirected since the blockade began, while one ship was later allowed to continue its journey.
The blockade was imposed after Iran effectively shut down access through the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the current conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on February 28.
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A ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since early April, though negotiations continue over a possible 60-day extension linked to talks on Iranās nuclear programme.
On Saturday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces remain ready to resume operations if diplomacy fails.
Meanwhile, Iran warned against outside interference in regional shipping routes.
āAny violation of these regulations will place the security of their passage at serious risk,ā Iran's joint military command said Saturday in a statement carried by state TV.
