The United States military has escalated its maritime enforcement operations in the Middle East, disabling a commercial cargo vessel in international waters after it actively attempted to breach the American naval blockade on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The targeted kinetic engagement was officially confirmed by United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on X on May 30.
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US strike disables merchant vessel
According to the CENTCOM briefing, the incident took place on May 29 in the strategic waters of the Gulf of Oman. The merchant vessel Lian Star, operating under the flag of Gambia, was actively transiting toward the Iranian coastline in direct violation of the maritime blockading perimeter established by the US.
US naval forces monitoring the shipping lanes issued numerous, successive warnings instructing the Lian Star to alter its course and stand down. After the vessel’s crew deliberately ignored the radio demands and continued heading toward its Iranian destination, US forces deployed an AGM-114 Hellfire precision-guided missile targeting the ship’s propulsion infrastructure.
“The vessel ceased movement in the direction of Iran,” CENTCOM stated in a concise public assessment, confirming that the Hellfire missile successfully impacted the cargo ship’s engine room, causing a complete loss of propulsion.
A senior US official speaking to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity clarified that while the Lian Star was completely disabled and left drifting in the Gulf of Oman, US naval forces did not execute a physical boarding or seizure of the vessel following the missile impact.
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