U.S. Forces Disable Commercial Vessel, Showing Iran Blockade Still Active Despite Peace Talks

U.S. forces disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and continued toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S.-enforced maritime blockade, underscoring that enforcement actions remain firmly in place despite signs of diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran.

In a statement released Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said a U.S. aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged cargo vessel Lian Star on May 29 after the ship failed to comply with more than 20 warnings from U.S. forces.

“CENTCOM forces observed M/V Lian Star