US military fires missile at cargo ship after ignoring 20 warnings to reach Iran and breach Hormuz blockade | Today’s news
The U.S. military disabled a merchant vessel attempting to blockade Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, Central Command said Saturday, marking the sixth time U.S. forces have intercepted a ship trying to breach the cordon since it was established in April.
The cargo ship Lian Star was disabled after ignoring more than 20 US warnings
The Lian Star, a Gambian-flagged cargo ship, was hit overnight after it repeatedly ignored attempts by US forces to turn it back as it tried to enter an Iranian port. The ship received more than 20 separate warnings before the missile strike was authorized, the US military said.
The vessel remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday. U.S. forces did not board the ship, according to a U.S. official familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
The US has now stopped six ships and diverted 116 vessels since the blockade began
The Lian Star incident brought to six the total number of vessels the US military has stopped trying to break the blockade since it went into effect. One ship could continue sailing. Another 116 vessels were diverted from Iranian ports, the military said.
The blockade was launched on 17 April in direct response to Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war in the Middle East following the 28 February attacks by the US and Israel. A fragile truce has been in place since April 7. The region is now waiting to see if an agreement can be reached on a 60-day extension of negotiations on Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
The decline of the Strait of Hormuz keeps pressure on the global economy
The long blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway separating Iran and Oman through which significant volumes of the world’s oil, natural gas and fertilizers once flowed freely, continues to reverberate through global markets. Shipments of these commodities remain largely stranded, adding to pressure on consumers and food producers around the world.
The US blockade is designed to cut off Iran’s own waterway supplies and limit its access to foreign earnings, adding new economic pressure to Iran’s economy, already weakened by years of international sanctions.
Trump undecided on 60-day truce extension as Iran says no deal finalized
US President Donald Trump met with advisers on Friday to consider whether to proceed with a deal that would extend the ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the strait to normal commercial passage. No decision had been announced by Saturday. Iran said the deal had not been completed.
Commercial traffic continues to move through the strait in limited quantities despite Iranian insistence that it must approve any transit by ships, although these flows remain well below levels seen before the war began.
Iran threatens any vessels that challenge its authority over the strait
Tehran has made it clear that it is not going to relinquish its claimed authority over the waterway without resistance. Iran’s Joint Military Command issued a stark warning on Saturday in a statement carried by state television, targeting any vessel attempting to transit without its approval.
“Any breach of these regulations will seriously jeopardize the safety of their passage,” the command said, adding that military vessels attempting to intervene would be targeted.
Iran has also sought to assert financial control over the strait by charging transit tolls of up to $2 million per vessel. International maritime law experts have described the practice as a violation of the long-standing principle of freedom of peaceful navigation.
Qatar opens door to negotiations on strait transit fees under specific conditions
One of Iran’s Gulf neighbors has indicated limited flexibility on the toll issue, although it has formally registered its opposition. Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani indicated on Saturday that the fees could be subject to negotiation under certain circumstances.
“But at certain times when they say they’re going to use it for demining or some use of fees for a transitional period, that’s something that can be negotiated and it could be something that will help the transit of the Strait of Hormuz get back to normal,” he said.
US forces did not find or destroy any mines in the strait
The mention of demining has particular significance given that a U.S. official earlier told the AP that U.S. forces had not found or destroyed any mines in the strait, raising questions about the stated basis of Iran’s tolling regime and the broader conditions it sought to establish for passage through the waterway.
