U.S. forces fired on a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, damaging its engine in order to prevent it from reaching an Iranian port, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on May 30.
In a press statement on Saturday, CENTCOM said U.S. forces had observed the Gambian-flagged vessel M/V Lian Star approaching an Iranian port on May 29, despite an ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and maritime trade.
According to CENTCOM, those U.S. forces then issued more than 20 warnings that the vessel was operating in violation of the blockade before ultimately moving to disable the ship’s propulsion.
“A U.S. aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room after Lian Star’s crew failed to comply. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran,” CENTCOM said.
The attack on the Lian Star marked the fifth confirmed instance of U.S. forces utilizing disabling fire on a commercial vessel since the start of the Iran blockade on April 13. U.S. forces have redirected 116 vessels as part of the blockade effort.
The incident came on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump previewed a set of terms for a possible intermediate framework to end the ongoing armed standoff with Iran and reach a long-term peace deal. Upon publicizing the potential terms, Trump announced he would meet with other officials at the White House to reach a “final determination” on the agreement.
Thus far, no deal has been reached.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Washington and Tehran were continuing to exchange messages.
The United States and Iran reached a ceasefire on April 7, following 38 days of direct large-scale fighting. That ceasefire has proven fragile, with the sides trading fire on multiple limited occasions. Tehran has also chafed at the U.S. blockade that came into effect just days after the ceasefire agreement.
As he previewed a possible peace framework on May 29, Trump said the terms would open the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted traffic, without tolls like those Iran has sought to impose in recent weeks. In turn, the president said the blockade action would be lifted.
“Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place,” Hegseth said.