A Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. fighter jet disabled an oil tanker heading for the Iranian port of Kharg Island after the vessel “ignored repeated warnings” and did not comply with directions issued under a U.S.-naval maritime blockade, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said Tuesday.
Centcom “enforced blockade measures against Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie as it transited international waters toward Kharg Island,” the command said in a statement, referring to one of Iran’s primary oil export terminals.
The release noted that the ship’s crew failed to follow directions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period.
“A U.S. aircraft ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room, preventing the tanker from reaching Iran,” according to the command.
Military officials said the tanker was unladen, meaning it was not carrying oil or other cargo at the time it was intercepted.
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U.S. Military
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