US forces disable oil tanker near Iran's Kharg Island
US Central Command said its forces disabled a Botswana-flagged oil tanker bound for Iran's Kharg Island after the crew ignored repeated warnings over a 24-hour period, firing a Hellfire missile into the vessel's engine room to prevent it from reaching its destination.
US Central Command announced on Tuesday that American forces had disabled a Botswana-flagged oil tanker attempting to sail toward Iran's Kharg Island, firing a Hellfire missile into the vessel's engine room after the crew ignored repeated warnings over a 24-hour period. The unladen vessel, identified as the M/T Lexie, was sailing through international waters when US forces began issuing warnings and directing it to alter course, CENTCOM said in a statement.
Crew failed to comply
The ship's crew failed to respond to directions multiple times during the day-long standoff, according to the command. "The ship's crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period," CENTCOM stated. A US aircraft subsequently disabled the vessel by firing into the engine room to prevent it from reaching Iranian waters.
Strategic context
Kharg Island — Iran's primary offshore oil export terminal — handles the vast majority of the country's crude shipments. The incident occurs amid ongoing tensions in the Gulf region following the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28.
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