US military disables ship attempting to breach Iran blockade

The U.S. military disabled a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday that was en route to Iran, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The vessel, identified as the "Layan Star" and flying the flag of Gambia, was reportedly heading towards an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces issued "more than 20 warnings" to the ship to alter its course and comply with the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

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The American aircraft disabled the ship by firing a Hellfire missile into the engine room after the crew failed to comply with instructions. The ship is no longer heading to Iran.

When the crew failed to heed the instructions, a U.S. aircraft fired a missile into the ship's engine room, rendering it inoperable and preventing it from continuing its journey to Iran. Central Command stated that the vessel is no longer sailing towards Iran.

This incident is the fifth time since the blockade began that the U.S. military has targeted a commercial ship. The statement also noted that over 100 vessels have abandoned their voyages to Iranian ports after receiving warnings from U.S. forces.

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The Layan Star was en route to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman and the U.S. military had issued it 'more than 20 warnings' to violate the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.