US Disables Lian Star After It Tries To Breach Blockade Of Iranian Ports

The US military disabled the Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star as it tried to breach the American blockade of Iranian ports, with a US official telling The Associated Press that the ship ignored multiple warnings and was disabled by US aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and remains adrift there.

“The US military has stopped another merchant vessel trying to break through the American blockade of Iranian ports, a US official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press”

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U.S. Central Command said a U.S. military aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into a ship’s engine room after the ship failed to comply, and CENTCOM said U.S. forces have not boarded it.

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CENTCOM also said U.S. forces on Friday issued more than 20 warnings to the Gambia-flagged ship M/V Lian Star as it cruised in international waters toward an Iranian port.

The US launched the blockade on April 17 in response to Iran effectively closing the strait after the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, and a fragile ceasefire has held since April 7.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces have disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 to fully enforce the blockade as a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect, while the US official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that with the latest action the US military has stopped six ships trying to breach the blockade.

In the first 24 hours since the naval blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump went into effect on Monday, Al Jazeera reported that more than 20 commercial ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz, while CENTCOM announced that six ships complied with orders to return to an Iranian port.

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Al Jazeera also cited American officials saying that the U.S. Navy did not have to use force to push back the six ships and that the blockade is being carried out calmly and firmly.

The Wall Street Journal quoted in Al Jazeera said that more than 20 ships had crossed the strait in the past 24 hours, and The Wall Street Journal also said the blockade is a major operation with more than 10,000 U.S. troops involved, including Marines and special operations forces, along with more than 15 warships and dozens of aircraft.

The blockade fight is unfolding alongside reported attacks in the region, with Stars and Stripes saying an Iranian missile strike injured several Americans at a Kuwaiti air base, and with VOA Farsi reporting that global oil prices rose five percent after an attack on three merchant ships in the waters off southern Iran.

Stars and Stripes said that according to the latest Pentagon data, 13 U.S. service members have died and over 400 have been wounded during the operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, and it added that at least 42 U.S. military aircraft — mostly drones — have been lost or damaged since the start of the war.

VOA Farsi reported that UKMTO confirmed by midday that a further merchant vessel had been targeted in the northern waters off Dubai, and it said the container ship struck in UAE waters caught fire and its crew were evacuated.

Euronews framed the broader pattern by listing attacks since the war began on February 28, including March 1 when one crew member of the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MKD VYOM was killed after the vessel was struck near the coast of Oman about 50 nautical miles north of Muscat.