US Claims Strike on Iran-Bound Tanker During Hormuz Blockade

The United States announced that it has disabled an empty oil tanker heading toward Iran, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to US Central Command (Centcom), an American aircraft launched a Hellfire missile into the engine compartment of the Botswana-flagged vessel, the M/T Lexie, after the crew allegedly disregarded numerous warnings.

Centcom released video footage on Tuesday purportedly capturing the moment the tanker was struck. While the US military detailed the incident, Iranian officials have yet to issue a public statement regarding the attack.

The strike occurred as part of a broader enforcement action initiated by the US military on April 13, which mandates a blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. In its official statement, Centcom reported that US forces took action against the M/T Lexie as it moved through international waters toward Kharg Island. The command noted that the ship’s crew had failed to follow US directives on multiple occasions over a 24-hour span.

Since the blockade’s implementation, Centcom stated that a total of six commercial vessels have been disabled, while 122 others have been redirected. The BBC has reached out to the government of Botswana for a response regarding the flag state of the affected vessel.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 21:49:00 UTC