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U.S. forces disabled a cargo ship heading to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman with a missile strike after its crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM announced Saturday that U.S. forces intercepted the Gambia-flagged M/V Lian Star on May 29 while it was traveling through international waters toward an Iranian port.
According to shipping data from MarineTraffic, the M/V Lian Star is a general cargo vessel operating on regional trade routes across the Persian Gulf and other parts of Asia.
In a statement posted on X,the command said that personnel issued more than 20 warnings to the vessel and informed its crew that the ship was violating the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.
After the crew did not respond to the warnings, a U.S. aircraft struck the vessel's engine room with a Hellfire missile, disabling the ship and preventing it from continuing its voyage, CENTCOM reported.
The military did not provide information on whether any crew members were injured in the incident.
CENTCOM noted that the vessel is no longer en route to Iran and described the action as part of ongoing efforts to enforce blockade measures in the region.
The latest operation comes as Washington maintains a blockade targeting Iranian ports. CENTCOM indicated that U.S. forces have now disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 others as part of enforcement efforts while a ceasefire with Iran remains in place.
The blockade has been in effect since mid-April, following unsuccessful negotiations that began in late February and failed to produce a broader settlement to the conflict despite the ceasefire.
The United States argues that the blockade is intended to restrict Iran's maritime trade, while Tehran has tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments. The standoff has led to exchanges of fire between Iranian and U.S. forces in recent weeks.
Iran has repeatedly accused Washington of violating the ceasefire by maintaining the blockade and has insisted that restrictions on its ports must be lifted for any lasting peace deal. Efforts to reach a broader settlement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, have yet to yield a final agreement.
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