The US says it disabled a Curacao-flagged oil tanker bound for Iran’s Kharg Island after the vessel allegedly ignored warnings and violated the American naval blockade.
The United States said that its forces disabled an unladen oil tanker after it attempted to violate the US naval blockade.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the Curacao-flagged M/T Belma was observed transiting international waters toward Kharg Island in the Arabian Gulf. The commercial vessel, according to the US military, ignored several warnings.
A US aircraft then fired Hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack, disabling it.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces observed Curacao-flagged M/T Belma transiting international waters toward Kharg Island. The commercial vessel ignored multiple warnings as it attempted to violate the U.S. blockade. A US aircraft disabled the vessel after firing hellfire missiles into the ship’s smokestack. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The United States resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas on Tuesday (Jul 14).
“During the first 24 hours of enforcement, CENTCOM has redirected two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel,” CENTCOM said.
US targets Iranian air defence sites, coastal surveillance facilities
The US military said that its armed forces completed another wave of aerial strikes against Iran on Wednesday night, targeting Iranian command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities.
“CENTCOM used precision munitions to hit targets in multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas. Earlier this morning, American forces struck coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave. The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” it said in a post on X.
“Earlier this morning, American forces struck coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave,” it added.
After this, Iran launched attacks striking US targets in Kuwait and Bahrain with drones.
The Iranian army said that it hit “radar systems, a Patriot air defence system, and fuel storage facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base” in Kuwait and US military facilities at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, according to IRIB reports.
