WASHINGTON (Horn Post) — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that American forces disabled a fuel tanker allegedly bound for an Iranian port in the Persian Gulf as part of ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions targeting maritime trade linked to Iran.
In a statement, CENTCOM identified the vessel as the MT Lexie, a Botswana-flagged fuel tanker operating in international waters and reportedly heading toward Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil export terminal in the Gulf.
According to CENTCOM, the vessel’s crew repeatedly ignored warnings and failed to comply with instructions issued by U.S. forces over a 24-hour period.
The command said a U.S. aircraft subsequently struck the tanker’s engine room with a Hellfire missile, rendering the vessel inoperable and preventing it from reaching Iranian waters.
CENTCOM stated that it would continue enforcing sanctions against vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports, a policy it said has been in effect since April 13.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran in the Gulf region. A previous U.S. operation targeting an Iranian-linked vessel, identified as the Lion Star, drew a response from Iran.
At the time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched a cruise missile strike against the commercial cargo vessel MSC Sariska near Iraq’s Umm al-Qasr port. Iranian state-affiliated media later released footage that it said showed the missile launch and impact.
The reported maritime incidents underscore ongoing security challenges in the Persian Gulf, a strategic waterway critical to global energy supplies and international shipping.
Prepared by:
Horn post staff
