Key facts
- U.S. forces struck and disabled an Iran-linked, sanctioned oil tanker near Kharg Island.
- The tanker, M/T Belma, was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf.
- The incident occurred after U.S. forces reinstated a naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports.
- The vessel ignored multiple warnings before being disabled by U.S. aircraft using hellfire missiles.
U.S. forces struck and disabled an Iran-linked oil tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, an action that appears to broaden the scope of a renewed U.S. naval blockade against Iran. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the Curacao-flagged vessel, M/T Belma, ignored multiple warnings as it attempted to proceed toward an Iranian port on July 15.
CENTCOM stated that U.S. forces enforced naval blockade measures by disabling the unladen tanker after it attempted to violate the blockade. The vessel was hit by hellfire missiles fired from a U.S. aircraft into its smokestack. Vessel-tracking data indicated the Belma made a sharp turn away from Kharg Island early Thursday local time.
This incident marks the first U.S. attack on an Iran-linked vessel since the reinstatement of the blockade on July 14, which was a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The re-escalation has contributed to a rise in oil prices, with Brent futures exceeding $85 per barrel and WTI surpassing $80, as markets factor in potential disruptions to tanker transits through the Strait of Hormuz.