US disables oil tanker heading to Iran that attempted to breach blockade

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that its naval and air forces implemented strict maritime blockade measures against Iran on July 15, by disabling an empty oil tanker that attempted to sail toward Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.

According to the statement, US forces spotted the commercial tanker "M/T Belma," flying the flag of Curaçao, while it was transiting international waters toward the Iranian island of Kharg.

After the vessel ignored multiple calls and warnings to refrain from breaching the blockade, a US aircraft carried out a precision strike by launching Hellfire missiles that directly targeted its smokestack, resulting in the tanker being disabled and stopped without being sunk.

CENTCOM indicated that this operation falls within the first 24-hour period of the resumption of the maritime blockade (which went into effect at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 14).

This period saw two compliant commercial vessels forced to alter course, while force was used to disable the third non-compliant vessel, affirming that US forces remain at the highest level of vigilance to ensure full implementation of the blockade.