The United States military fired a Hellfire missile at a commercial cargo vessel, the Gambia-flagged Lian Star, after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to enter an Iranian port despite an ongoing US naval blockade.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the vessel was struck in its engine room while transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.
The incident comes as tensions remain high despite a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warning that American forces are prepared to resume strikes on Iran if diplomatic efforts fail.
US forces repeatedly attempted to stop the vessel before taking military action, claiming that the Lian Star ignored 'more than 20 warnings' overnight informing it that it was violating the US blockade on Iranian ports.
The US military has now stopped six ships under the blockade, with one vessel allowed to continue its voyage and more than 116 others redirected.
