The United States military has struck a supertanker in the Persian Gulf near Iran’s main oil export terminal, marking its first attack on a commercial vessel since reimposing a blockade on the country’s shipping.
According to the US Central Command, an American aircraft launched missiles at the empty, US-sanctioned tanker Belma after it repeatedly ignored warnings that it was breaching the blockade by sailing through international waters toward Kharg Island. The command disclosed the operation in a social media post early Thursday.
The operation, carried out deep inside the Persian Gulf and far from the Strait of Hormuz, suggests the United States may be expanding the scope of its blockade. Earlier enforcement efforts were primarily focused on intercepting vessels attempting to cross a US-imposed blockade line in the Gulf of Oman, beyond the strategic waterway.
Ship-tracking data showed the Belma sailing north toward Kharg Island late on Wednesday before making a slight turn to the northwest. The vessel then sharply changed course away from the island early on Thursday after it was struck.
The attack comes amid escalating tensions in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Recent Iranian attacks on vessels transiting the strategic waterway have prompted shipowners to reconsider sailing through the area, while oil and gas producers in the Gulf have reviewed plans to increase exports. The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that the global economy could face renewed risks if the conflict disrupting traffic through the strait is not resolved within weeks.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited on Thursday.
A US-sanctioned liquefied petroleum gas carrier completed an outbound transit with its transponder switched on, while an Iran-bound bulk carrier carrying soybean meal entered the Persian Gulf.
The US Navy said it would permit shipments of bulk food, medical supplies and other humanitarian goods essential to Iran’s civilian population to pass through the blockade, provided the vessels receive prior clearance after their transit requests are reviewed.
Kharg Island remains central to Iran’s oil export operations and a vital source of export revenue for Tehran.
Since the interim peace agreement was reached in mid-June, at least 11 shipments of crude oil and petrochemicals have been loaded from the island, according to the nonprofit organisation United Against Nuclear Iran.
