US military opens fire at Iranian tanker as Trump’s ceasefire on brink of collapse | World | News
The US military has opened fire on an Iranian tanker as fears of a new war in Iran explode. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces targeted the Iranian-flagged oil tanker M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings while sailing towards an Iranian port.
CENTCOM said the incident happened at around 9am ET on May 6 as the unladen tanker travelled through international waters en route to Iran. American forces told the crew the vessel was allegedly violating the ongoing US blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports. A statement issued on its official X account said: “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces observed M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade. After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, U.S. forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran.”
The confrontation comes amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Gulf following the launch of the US naval blockade against Iran and the wider American military operation known as “Project Freedom”.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announed that the US will “support” vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as the Iran continues. The operation began on Monday.
The move came after countries around the world reportedly asked Washington for help in freeing vessels stranded in the key shipping lane, many of which are not involved in the conflict.
In a statement, Trump said the ships were “neutral and innocent bystanders” caught up in a crisis they had “absolutely nothing to do with”.
He also warned “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
He said the mission had been halted by “mutual agreement” after what he described as “great progress” towards a deal with Iran.
Iranian state media claimed the pause was a victory for Tehran, saying Trump had “retreated” after failing to fully reopen the crucial global shipping route.
The announcement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the initial US-Israeli offensive in Iran, called Operation Epic Fury, had achieved its objectives.
Trump also said the decision had been made “based on the request of Pakistan”, which has reportedly acted as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, although the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.
CENTCOM also added that, as of Wednesday, US forces had turned back 52 vessels to their ports of origin since the blockade began, amid Iranian restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz which have pushed global energy prices higher.
