Translation result
[Herald Economy reporter Jeong Mok-hee] The U.S. military said it fired on and disabled a tanker that attempted to break a maritime blockade and return to Iran.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which leads U.S. military operations targeting Iran, announced on X (formerly Twitter) on the 6th (local time) that it enforced the blockade against the tanker Hasna as it transited international waters toward an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman at about 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
CENTCOM said it issued multiple radio warnings to the empty Hasna, but the vessel did not comply. Forces then fired a 20 mm cannon, disabling the ship’s rudder.
The strike was carried out by an F/A-18E Super Hornet launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Officials said the Hasna had offloaded Iranian oil to a third country and was returning to Iran with its tanks empty.
“The Hasna is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM said, adding that U.S. blockade measures on vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports remain fully in effect.
On the 13th of last month at 10 a.m., the U.S. began a maritime blockade to halt ship movements through Iranian ports. The move was presented as a counter to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
While some analysts say a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran may be nearing completion ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to China, U.S. officials say the blockade will remain in place to sustain economic pressure until any deal is finalized.
President Trump has repeatedly pledged, “I will not lift it until a ceasefire agreement is signed.”
Most Commented