US intercepts Iran tanker attempting to breach blockade
The U.S. military disabled an Iranian-flagged, empty oil tanker on Wednesday morning after it tried to breach the U.S. naval blockade, amid signs of potential progress between Washington and Tehran toward ending the conflict.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said the tanker, M/T Hasna, transited in international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. It said the crew failed to heed multiple warnings that it was violating the blockade, so U.S. forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from a 20 mm cannon gun of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, News.Az reports, citing The Hill.
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The F/A-18 Super Hornet took off from USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the two aircraft carriers operating in the Centcom region, helping enforce the blockade.
“The U.S. blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports remains in full effect,” Centcom said in a statement. “CENTCOM forces continue to act deliberately and professionally to ensure compliance.”
The Hasna, which is more than 330 meters long and 58 meters wide, is a crude oil tanker that sailed through the Laccadive Sea off the coast of the Maldives nearly three weeks ago, according to Marine Traffic.
The U.S. military has intercepted and seized oil tankers linked to Iran and Venezuela in the Indian Ocean and near the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
The disabling of the Hasna comes as the Trump administration announced the end of “Project Freedom,” an effort to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s chokehold of the passageway, late Tuesday. Reports surfaced Wednesday morning that Washington and Tehran are closing in on a framework of a deal to end the conflict.
Despite the apparent progress in potentially striking a deal with Iran, President Trump warned on Wednesday that the U.S. military could resume bombing inside the country if the deal falls through.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tuesday morning that if Iran is not willing to “follow through” or make a deal, the Pentagon is ready to restart kinetic action at Trump’s direction.
“We hope it doesn’t have to go in that direction, but Adm. [Brad] Cooper and our forces are in a three-point stance and ready to go,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon, referring to the Centcom commander.
As part of the blockade, the U.S. military has so far directed 52 commercial vessels to turn around or return to port since the effort began last month, according to Centcom.
By Ulviyya Salmanli
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