The U.S. military said Monday it disabled an oil tanker that attempted to get around President Trump’s blockade by sailing toward an Iranian port.
U.S. Central Command said a fighter jet fired into the engineering and steering space of the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex after it failed to comply with instructions from U.S. forces in the Gulf of Oman.
“Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM said in a written statement.
Mr. Trump is imposing a maritime blockade on Iran to squeeze the regime economically and get better terms at the negotiating table.
Negotiators are working on a deal to lift the blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for oil exports.
In the meantime, the U.S. blockade is hurting Iran’s ability to ship out oil and gain revenue. There are reports of rampant inflation and unemployment in the country.
Efforts to reach a deal and negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program were complicated Monday by an exchange of firepower between Iran and Israel. Both nations agreed, under pressure from Mr. Trump, to stop fighting.
Mr. Trump said his blockade will remain in place while negotiations continue.
CENTCOM said it has disabled seven noncompliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied with the blockade and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since the blockade began on April 13.
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