The US military struck a tanker heading toward Iran with a Hellfire missile on Tuesday, June 2, as part of a blockade ordered by President Donald Trump, who is pressing Tehran to accept a peace agreement on his terms. US Central Command released video of the attack and said the target was the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, which was hit in the engine room and disabled before it could reach Iran.
According to Central Command, the vessel’s crew did not comply with repeated warnings from US forces over a 24-hour period. The statement said the ship ignored directions multiple times, leading a US aircraft to fire a Hellfire missile into the tanker’s engine room. The strike prevented the Lexie from continuing toward Iran, Central Command said.
The incident marks the sixth ship disabled by the US military since the blockade began on April 13. US officials said the campaign is aimed at preventing vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports. In addition to the six disabled ships, the military says it has redirected 122 vessels so far as part of the operation.
The move reflects an escalating US effort to tighten pressure on Iran amid Trump’s push for direct negotiations on a peace deal. The blockade has placed commercial shipping under increased scrutiny, with US forces monitoring traffic in and around Iranian waters and acting against vessels they say are defying orders.
Central Command did not immediately provide further details about the tanker’s cargo, the condition of the crew, or the extent of the damage beyond disabling the vessel’s engine room. The statement emphasized that the ship had failed to respond to repeated warnings before the missile strike.
The attack on the Lexie adds to a growing number of maritime interventions by the US military in the region since mid-April. By stopping or redirecting vessels bound for or departing from Iranian ports, the campaign is intended to restrict maritime access and reinforce Washington’s demands on Tehran.
The latest strike underscores the seriousness of the US blockade and the risks facing commercial shipping near Iran as tensions continue to rise.
