US military says it disabled another tanker over Iran blockade violation
US forces disabled an empty oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it violated the US blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port, US Central Command said on Monday.
CENTCOM said the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex was transiting international waters toward Iran on June 8 when an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the vessel’s engineering and steering spaces.
The command said the strike came after the crew failed to comply with US orders, adding that the tanker was no longer sailing toward Iran.
CENTCOM said US forces have disabled seven non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied with the blockade, and allowed 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass since the blockade began on April 13.
