US military opens fire on Iranian-flagged oil tanker

Tensions are rising in the US blockade of Iranian ports.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the Iranian-flagged, unladen oil tanker M/T Hasna, sailing in international waters, was detected heading toward an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.

The statement noted that "US forces repeatedly warned the vessel, informing it that the navigation activity in question was a violation of the blockade." The statement added, "Upon the crew's failure to comply with the warnings, the US military took action to intervene with the vessel."

In its statement, CENTCOM noted that an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, which took off from the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, fired its cannons at the Hasna tanker's steering system, leaving the vessel immobilized. The statement indicated that the tanker is no longer sailing toward Iran.

Furthermore, it was stated that the US continues to enforce its blockade on vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports and that forces are conducting their operations in a "careful and professional manner."

News Source: 12punto