US Central Command said the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted enforcement operations in the Gulf of Oman, boarding the tanker M/T Wen and redirecting three commercial vessels trying to bypass restrictions against Iran. The Strait of Hormuz remains open for traffic, with enforcement focused on vessels violating the US blockade.
US Central Command confirmed at 09:24 Jerusalem that it had boarded the tanker M/T Wen and redirected three commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman, the latest in a series of updates from early Friday morning. The confirmation follows a sequence of reports that began at 00:33 Jerusalem, when The Zioneer first reported that US forces had changed course of three vessels, neutralized one, and boarded one. Within the same minute, CENTCOM released images of the Marine Corps boarding an Iranian vessel, and then identified the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit as the unit involved, detailing that one vessel had been disabled. The figures cited in the current update — three redirected, one disabled, one boarded — match the earlier reports.
As The Zioneer reported on Jun 20, 17:33 Jerusalem, CENTCOM stated that 55 commercial ships transited the Strait of Hormuz and traffic had increased. On Jun 28, 11:24 Jerusalem, The Zioneer noted that the US Navy was escorting tankers through the Omani shipping lane despite Iranian threats. On Jul 1, 00:48 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported intensified US aerial presence over the strait. These background items underscore the sustained enforcement of the 'Steel Wall' siege.
What remains open: The cargo of the boarded tanker M/T Wen and the status of the disabled vessel have not been disclosed. No Iranian official response to the latest boarding has been reported as of 09:24 Jerusalem.
5 developments
- StrongUS Navy disables oil tanker heading for Iran in Gulf of Oman
- StrongUS military reportedly stopped oil tankers breaching blockade in Gulf of Oman
- StrongUS military disables tanker attempting to breach blockade on Iran
- StrongNew York Post: US stations two aircraft carriers in Gulf of Oman as pressure on Iran grows
Source and signal
- Internal intake