U.S. military forces disabled a tanker trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz on July 24, stopping what officials said was a deliberate attempt to run a regional blockade after the crew repeatedly ignored warnings.
This strike marks one of twelve forced turnarounds of ships that attempted to breach the blockade and were subsequently redirected away from the Strait of Hormuz, the military said.
The military fired into the engine room of the M/T Lavine stopping the ship in its tracks, Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM told the New York Times. “The ship is no longer transiting to Iran,” Hawkins said.
“As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 2 that didn’t comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance,” the combat command said in a statement on X.
Hawkins emphasized that the crew had been warned after four previous attempts to circumvent the blockade.
The move comes as President Trump called off a major escalation and reportedly paused after the 13th consecutive night of strikes, reportedly because of a diminished stockpile of antimissile interceptors, according to the New York Times.
American forces boarded the tanker M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea to complete a compliance inspection — to ensure that the ship is not carrying prohibited goods — and after passing examination the ship is continuing on its voyage.
The military also released supporting video footage showing the U.S. naval operations in action.
The approximately 42-second clip posted to X begins on an aircraft carrier flight deck with helicopters preparing for launch.
It then shows armed military personnel fast-roping onto the deck of a commercial tanker at sea.
The name “CHARMINAR” is clearly visible on the vessel’s superstructure as Marines and sailors conduct the verification boarding.
Later segments display black-and-white overhead targeting footage labeled “UNCLASSIFIED” and “M/T LAVINE,” capturing a bright explosion on the tanker’s deck and superstructure after the precision strike to disable the ship.
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