U.S. military forces disabled a tanker attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on July 24 after its crew repeatedly ignored warnings and attempted to breach a regional blockade. The incident marks the second time a vessel has been disabled and one of twelve forced turnarounds of ships that have attempted to circumvent the blockade since it was established.
Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told The New York Times that forces fired into the engine room of the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine, stopping the ship in the Gulf of Oman. "The ship is no longer transiting to Iran," Hawkins stated. CENTCOM reported that as of July 25, it had redirected twelve commercial vessels, disabled two that did not comply, and boarded two others to ensure compliance with the blockade.
Hawkins emphasized that the crew of the M/T Lavine had been warned on four previous occasions regarding attempts to circumvent the blockade.
CENTCOM also released video footage depicting the naval operations. The approximately 42-second clip shows helicopters preparing for launch from an aircraft carrier, followed by armed military personnel fast-roping onto the deck of a commercial tanker. The M/T Charminar is visible during a boarding and inspection to ensure it was not carrying prohibited goods; the ship was cleared and continued its voyage. Later segments of the video display targeting footage labeled "UNCLASSIFIED" and "M/T LAVINE," capturing a precision strike that disabled the tanker.
The naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains in effect.