US Central Command reported that the target was the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, which disabled the vessel.
United States military forces fired a Hellfire missile at a tanker heading to Iran this Tuesday (2), as part of the blockade imposed by President Donald Trump to pressure Tehran to negotiate a peace agreement on his terms.
US Central Command released a video showing the attack on the tanker and reported that the target was the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, which disabled the vessel.
“The ship’s crew ignored repeated warnings and failed to comply with instructions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period,” Central Command said in a statement.
“A US aircraft ended up disabling the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile at the engine room, preventing the tanker from reaching Iran.”
The Lexie is the sixth ship decommissioned by the US military since the blockade of Iran began on April 13. To date, American forces say they have redirected another 122 ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports.
