U.S. forces disabled an oil tanker bound for an Iranian port after the vessel ignored repeated warnings and failed to comply with orders issued under a U.S.-enforced maritime blockade, according to military officials.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday said the Botswana-flagged tanker M/T Lexie was traveling through international waters toward Kharg Island, which is one of Iran’s primary oil export terminals, when it was intercepted by American forces.
“The ship’s crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.”A U.S. aircraft ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room, preventing the tanker from reaching Iran,” according to CENTCOM.
Military officials said the tanker was “unladen” at the time, as it was not carrying oil or other cargo.
The incident is the latest enforcement action under a U.S. maritime blockade that started on April 13 amid heightened tensions with Iran and ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
According to CENTCOM, American forces have disabled six commercial vessels and redirected 122 others since the blockade began.
The blockade remains a key part of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Iran as U.S. and Iranian negotiators continue discussions aimed at reaching a long-term agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program and extending a fragile ceasefire that has largely held in recent weeks.
The news comes a few hours after President Donald Trump said reports claiming communication between the U.S. and Iran had broken down are “false and erroneous,” insisting that negotiations between the two countries remain active as both sides continue discussions.
“Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.”The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today,” he added.
The president also acknowledged that the outcome remains uncertain.
“Where they lead, one never knows,” Trump said of the negotiations.
In his social media post, the president renewed pressure on Iranian leaders to reach an agreement, arguing that decades of negotiations and tensions over the country’s nuclear ambitions must come to an end.
“As I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a deal,'” Trump added. “You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!”
Members of the Trump administration, including Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, have recently expressed optimism about the talks, describing them as productive while emphasizing that the U.S. remains prepared to use military force if diplomacy fails.