Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, May 31: The United States military said it disabled a commercial cargo vessel with a Hellfire missile after the ship allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to enter an Iranian port despite an ongoing US naval blockade.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Gambia-flagged cargo ship Lian Star was struck in its engine room while transiting international waters toward an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM said the vessel ignored more than 20 warnings issued overnight, informing it that it was violating the US blockade on Iranian ports. After repeated attempts to stop the ship failed, US forces launched a Hellfire missile that disabled the vessel's engine.
The military later stated that the ship was "no longer transiting to Iran" but did not provide further details on its condition. A US official familiar with the operation told the Associated Press that the vessel remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman and had not been boarded by American forces.
The incident marks the latest enforcement action under the US blockade imposed in April. According to US military figures, six vessels have been stopped while attempting to breach the blockade. One ship was eventually allowed to proceed, while more than 116 others were redirected.
CENTCOM said on Friday that at least 115 ships had been diverted since the blockade began.
The United States imposed the blockade after Iran effectively restricted access through the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the current conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28.
The latest action comes amid uncertainty over efforts to extend a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. While the truce has largely held since early April, negotiations are underway over a possible 60-day extension to allow further talks on Iran's nuclear programme.
US President Donald Trump met senior advisers on Friday to discuss the situation but has yet to decide whether to support an extension of the ceasefire and the reopening of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has maintained that no final agreement has been reached.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that American forces remain prepared to resume military operations if diplomatic efforts fail.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy transit routes, remains at the centre of the standoff. Disruptions to shipping through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman have affected global energy markets, causing delays in oil, natural gas and fertiliser shipments.
Although some commercial traffic continues to pass through the strait, shipping volumes remain significantly below pre-conflict levels.
Iran has insisted that vessels require its approval to transit the waterway and has reportedly imposed transit fees on some ships.
In a statement carried by Iranian state television, Iran's joint military command warned that any foreign interference in shipping regulations in the region would threaten the safety of maritime passage and could result in military action.
The confrontation has further heightened tensions in the Gulf region, where concerns persist over the possibility of renewed hostilities despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.