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US Disables 7th Vessel Since Start of Iran Maritime Blockade, Centcom Says

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US forces disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after the vessel allegedly violated the ongoing US maritime blockade against Iran, as it attempted to reach an Iranian port, the US Central Command said Monday.

Operating in international waters, the Palau-flagged vessel allegedly ignored directions from US forces while sailing toward Iran, according to Centcom's post on X.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition at the vessel's engineering and steering compartments, preventing the tanker from continuing its voyage to Iran, Centcom said.

Since the blockade began on April 13, US forces have disabled seven non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied with instructions and allowed 42 humanitarian-support vessels to transit, Centcom added.

Meanwhile, former US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US Navy has the capability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, although maintaining access to the waterway over an extended period would require significant resources and international support, Bloomberg reported Monday.

"Holding it open for a long period of time would be pretty costly," Austin reportedly said, speaking at the HSBC Gulf Cooperation Council Exchanges Conference in London.

He added that allies and partners should participate because freedom of navigation is "important to the entire globe," Bloomberg reported.

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