The U.S. military announced it fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of a vessel attempting to breach the American blockade of Iran in the Gulf of Oman on Friday.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) stated on Saturday that the Gambia-flagged vessel, the Lian Star, was in international waters and heading toward an Iranian port when the strike occurred. Centcom indicated that U.S. forces issued over 20 warnings to the ship, informing it of its violation of the blockade, prior to the missile engagement.
Following the action, Centcom reported that the vessel was "no longer transiting to Iran," but did not offer additional details regarding the incident or the ship's current status. Since the commencement of the blockade on April 13, U.S. forces have reportedly redirected at least 115 ships.
In parallel, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Saturday that American military forces are prepared to resume offensive operations against Iran should diplomatic efforts to conclude the ongoing war between the two nations fail to yield an agreement.
The protracted conflict has significantly impacted global energy markets, largely due to Iran's imposition of closures on the Strait of Hormuz.
