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The US military disabled the Botswana-flagged tanker M/T Lexie with a Hellfire missile after it allegedly ignored warnings while heading towards Iran's Kharg Island, enforcing Washington's naval blockade. Meanwhile, the IRGC claimed responsibility for an attack on MSC's Sariska V vessel as Israel-Hezbollah clashes continued despite diplomatic talks in Washington aimed at easing tensions.

Florida: The United States military has disabled a commercial oil tanker attempting to access Iran as Washington continues to enforce its strict naval blockade on maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports, even as tensions remained high between Israel and Hezbollah despite a fresh round of diplomatic talks underway in the American capital.

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), a Botswana-flagged oil tanker identified as the M/T Lexie was targeted after it allegedly attempted to sail towards Iran's Kharg Island. The vessel, which was not carrying cargo at the time, reportedly disregarded "repeated warnings" over a 24-hour period to alter its course.

In an official statement, CENTCOM confirmed that an American military aircraft ultimately halted the ship by striking its engine room with a Hellfire missile. This action is part of an ongoing enforcement campaign initiated on 13 April, during which US forces state they have disabled six commercial vessels and redirected 122 others attempting to enter or leave Iranian maritime facilities.

In a related maritime escalation reported by Al Jazeera, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) confirmed that its vessel, Sariska V, was struck by two projectiles in the port of Umm Qasr yesterday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) had first reported the attack southeast of Umm Qasr, though it did not initially name the ship.