CENTCOM announced it has begun enforcing the naval siege on Iran, stating that a ship trying to reach the Iranian Kharg Island ignored American warnings and was fired upon. The ship is no longer sailing to Iran, according to the statement.
Tonight, CENTCOM confirmed it has begun active enforcement of the naval blockade on Iran, with two incidents unfolding near Kharg Island. At 00:17 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the US military disabled an oil tanker that had ignored warnings and attempted to reach the island. In a separate statement also published at 00:17 Jerusalem, CENTCOM confirmed that a missile was fired at a different vessel that defied instructions, and that the ship is no longer heading to Iran. The two developments mark a significant escalation in the enforcement of the siege, which was initially announced in June and has seen increasing interdictions.
The Zioneer's coverage of the naval siege began with the announcement of the blockade on July 14 at 21:52 Jerusalem, set to begin at 23:00 that night. On June 12, CENTCOM reported that since the siege began, nine vessels had been disabled and 136 turned back. Earlier, on June 10, CENTCOM disabled an oil tanker carrying Iranian crude in the Gulf of Oman. The thread also includes reports of US strikes on Iranian military targets in the region, including a clarification on July 15 that the strikes targeted military installations, not civilian sites, as The Zioneer reported at 19:07 Jerusalem.
The context of the siege includes the US's stated goal of restricting Iranian maritime trade and oil exports until a memorandum of understanding is signed. CENTCOM has conducted strikes on Iranian coastal targets, including the first use of unmanned attack drones and vessels on July 14. Unverified reports from June 11 suggested strikes on Iran's Hengam Island, but those remain uncorroborated.
It remains unclear whether the vessel fired upon was a tanker or another type of ship, and whether there were casualties. The specific details of the missile fire—whether it was a warning shot or a direct hit—have not been disclosed. The identity of the disabled oil tanker from the first incident also hasn't been released.
5 developments
- StrongUS military disables tanker attempting to breach blockade on Iran
- StrongUS Navy disables oil tanker heading for Iran in Gulf of Oman
- DevelopingUS strikes Iranian targets in retaliation for tanker attack, report says
- StrongReport: US military completed strike readiness on Iran, Kharg Island not approved target
Source and signal
- Internal intake