The US military said today that it intercepted a Gambian-flagged cargo ship attempting to approach an Iranian port by firing a missile into its engine room.
According to the US Middle East Command (Centcom), the operation took place on Friday after the Lian Star ship failed to respond to a signal to observe a US-imposed blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
“A US aircraft disabled the ship by firing a Hellfire missile into its engine room. The ship is no longer sailing towards Iran,” the statement said.
It is not clear at this time if there are any casualties on the Lian Star.
Centcom claims that US forces “disabled five merchant ships” and intercepted 116 others, enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports while a ceasefire with Iran remains in place.
