US Aircraft Disable Ship in Gulf of Oman

The US military has stopped another merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports, an American official with knowledge of the situation told the AP on Saturday. The Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star ignored multiple warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, said the official. The ship was disabled by US aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and remains adrift there, the official said, adding that American forces have not boarded it. The military has now stopped six ships it said were trying to breach the blockade. One was allowed to proceed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview on Saturday said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "very much still in place" during peace negotiations, per the Hill.

The US launched the blockade in April in response to Iran effectively closing the strait after the war began with US. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. It seeks to limit Iran's own shipments and further weaken its access to cash, creating more pain for its long-weakened economy. Commercial traffic has quietly continued to flow through the strait, despite Iran's assertions that it must approve any transits, though at much lower volume than before the conflict. "Any violation of these regulations will place the security of their passage at serious risk," Iran's joint military command said Saturday in a statement carried by state TV, warning that any military vessels trying to interfere with that would be targeted.