US military forces have fired upon an Iranian-flagged tanker, disabling the vessel as it attempted to breach a blockade, Central Command (Centcom) confirmed on Wednesday.
Incident Details
Several rounds were discharged at the unladen M/T Hasna, which was sailing towards an Iranian port in violation of established restrictions, Centcom stated on X. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the US blockade.
After Hasna's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker's rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran.
Context
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran. President Trump earlier stated that the US 'is in good shape' on Iran as he met with UFC fighters. Meanwhile, in a separate development, Israel launched a strike on Beirut, as reported in the Iran-US war latest.
