US says it fired on, disabled ship violating Iran port blockade

WASHINGTON, United States:  (AFP) US forces on Tuesday fired a missile at a ship that was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of an American blockade, disabling the vessel, the US military said._x000D_
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Washington has now forcibly halted six ships it said were attempting to violate the blockade, which has been in place since April 13._x000D_
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The Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie — an unladen oil tanker — “ignored repeated warnings” over a 24-hour period, and an American warplane “ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room,” the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement._x000D_
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The statement did not mention if the attack caused any casualties aboard the Lexie._x000D_
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On Friday, the US military similarly disabled a Gambia-flagged cargo vessel after it too failed to comply, CENTCOM said._x000D_
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On May 8, US forces fired munitions down the smokestacks of two Iranian-flagged tankers to halt them, while a warplane disabled another Iranian-flagged ship on May 6 by firing its 20mm cannon at the vessel’s rudder._x000D_
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And on April 19, an Iranian-flagged vessel attempted to violate the blockade and ignored multiple warnings from a US destroyer, CENTCOM said at the time._x000D_
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The American warship eventually directed the ship’s crew to evacuate its engine room, which it then hit with multiple rounds from its five-inch gun._x000D_
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Tehran’s forces effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway — a key route for oil and gas shipments — after the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28._x000D_
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The United States announced its blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough in April.