US forces have confirmed that they launched missiles at an empty oil tanker trying to reach an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf, rendering it inoperable. The vessel, named M/T Belma and flying the Curacao flag, disregarded multiple warnings while attempting to breach the US blockade. Following the firing of hellfire missiles by a US aircraft into the ship’s smokestack, the vessel, which was en route to Kharg Island, was intercepted and prevented from reaching Iran.
The US military reestablished its naval blockade against ships traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal regions on Tuesday. In a separate incident, the US Central Command disclosed that two rounds of strikes were carried out against Iran on Wednesday. The operations, aimed at Iranian military assets posing threats to vessels navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, were initiated at 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) and constituted the second wave of strikes for the day.
Earlier the same day, the US military had initiated the first wave of strikes against Iran at 6 a.m. Eastern Time (1000 GMT). During this 90-minute operation, precision munitions were deployed against coastal defense systems and sites storing and launching cruise missiles on Greater Tunb Island. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched retaliatory strikes against US military installations in Bahrain and Jordan. The IRGC’s Aerospace Force targeted the US military base at al-Azraq in Jordan, destroying shelters housing US fighter jets and strategic drones.
