US disables tanker allegedly bound for Iran’s Kharg Island in Gulf maritime strike

United States: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it disabled a Botswana-flagged oil tanker, M/T Lexie, in international waters after it allegedly attempted to sail toward Iran’s Kharg Island in defiance of repeated warnings, as part of ongoing enforcement of a US-imposed maritime blockade on Iranian ports. According to CENTCOM, the vessel ignored multiple instructions over a 24-hour period before a US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into its engine room, rendering it inoperable and preventing it from reaching Iranian waters. The Pentagon released video footage of the strike, stating the action was designed to disable rather than sink the vessel, which US officials claim was linked to sanctions evasion and Iran’s “shadow fleet” oil operations. The incident comes amid escalating maritime tensions in the Persian Gulf, where US forces have increased interception and disabling operations against ships suspected of violating restrictions tied to Iran, while Iran has condemned such actions as unlawful interference with international shipping routes.