US Fires Hellfire Missile at Iran-Bound Tanker After Crew Ignores Route Change Warnings
Summary
- The US military said it struck the engine room of the Botswana-flagged tanker M/T Lexie, which was headed for Iran, with a Hellfire missile, leaving the vessel unable to maneuver.
- The move made M/T Lexie the sixth vessel disabled by the US military since the Iran maritime blockade began on April 13.
- The US military said it has ordered route changes for 122 vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports since the maritime blockade order took effect.
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The US military said it fired a Hellfire missile at an Iran-bound tanker, disabling the vessel.
US Central Command released a statement on June 2 alongside video showing a strike on the engine room of the Botswana-flagged tanker M/T Lexie.
The crew ignored repeated US military warnings and failed to follow instructions for 24 hours, according to Central Command. A US aircraft then fired a Hellfire missile at the ship's engine room, leaving it unable to maneuver and preventing it from reaching Iran.
The operation made M/T Lexie the sixth vessel disabled by the US military since it imposed a maritime blockade on Iran on April 13. Since the blockade took effect, the US military has ordered 122 vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports to change course.
Doohyun Hwang
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