Key facts
- US military fired a Hellfire missile at the M/T Lexie oil tanker.
- The missile struck the tanker's engine room, disabling the vessel.
- The tanker was heading toward Iran's Kharg Island.
- US Central Command stated the crew ignored repeated warnings over 24 hours.
- This is the sixth ship disabled since the US began its blockade of Iran on April 13.
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 stated the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie ignored repeated warnings over a 24-hour period before the missile struck its engine room. This incident marks the sixth ship disabled since the U.S. military began its blockade of Iran on April 13, escalating regional tensions and raising concerns about maritime security in waters near Iran. Hostilities in the Gulf erupted anew with reports of missile attacks on Kuwait and the United States shooting at a tanker headed toward Iran, while diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States showed little progress. The conflict, which began on February 28, has killed thousands and caused global pain by pushing up energy prices since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.