U.S. Strike on Iran’s Qeshm Island as Military Disables Vessel that Violated the Blockade
Iranian state media confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday morning that an explosion had been heard in the vicinity of Qeshm Island, according to local sources and island residents.
Subsequently, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had carried out airstrikes against Iran’s Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks.
In a statement posted on the X platform, CENTCOM added that it had successfully intercepted a number of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.
The command further stated that U.S. forces had conducted defensive strikes against a military ground-control station located on Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks targeting various locations across the Middle East.
This is not the first time that air-defense systems on Qeshm Island have been activated, as similar incidents have reportedly occurred several times in recent days.
The U.S. Blockade Continues
In a related development, the U.S. military announced that it had fired upon and disabled a vessel after it violated the blockade imposed on Iranian ports.
According to the U.S. military, a missile was launched against a ship attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the American blockade, resulting in the vessel being rendered inoperative.
In a statement, CENTCOM said that the oil tanker “MT Lexi,” flying the flag of Botswana and carrying no cargo, had “ignored repeated warnings” over a period of twenty-four hours. A U.S. warplane ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile at its engine room.
The statement did not specify whether the attack caused any casualties aboard the Lexi.
Last Friday, the U.S. military also disabled a cargo ship flying the Gambian flag after it refused to comply with American orders, according to CENTCOM.
On May 8, U.S. forces fired precision-guided munitions at the funnels of two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in order to stop them.
On May 6, a military aircraft disabled another Iranian-flagged vessel by targeting its rudder with a 20-millimeter cannon.
On April 19, an Iranian-flagged vessel attempted to breach the blockade and ignored repeated warnings from a U.S. destroyer, according to CENTCOM at the time.
The American destroyer ultimately ordered the crew to evacuate the engine room before striking it with several rounds from its five-inch naval gun, thereby disabling the vessel.
The United States announced the imposition of a blockade on Iranian ports after a round of peace talks held in Pakistan failed to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough in April.
