U.S. Military: An Iranian Ship Attempted to Break the Blockade, U.S. Warplanes Fired and Damaged the Ship's Rudder

On May 6, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that the U.S. Central Command announced on social media that an empty Iranian oil tanker attempted to break through the U.S. military blockade that day, heading towards an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy fighter jet damaged its rudder with cannon fire, rendering it unable to continue its voyage.

The report stated that the incident occurred around 9 a.m. Eastern Time on the 6th (4:30 p.m. Tehran time), with the target being the oil tanker "Hasna," which was flying the Iranian flag and was not carrying any cargo. At the time, the tanker was passing through international waters, heading towards an Iranian port along the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

The report indicated that the U.S. military issued multiple warnings to the tanker, stating that it was "violating the U.S. blockade order," but the tanker did not comply with the warnings. An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, launched from the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier, fired several rounds of 20mm cannon shells at the tanker, hitting its rudder.

The U.S. Central Command stated that the tanker has now stopped heading towards Iran, but did not mention how it would be dealt with subsequently, while emphasizing that the blockade imposed on vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports remains fully effective.

On April 19, the U.S. Central Command reported that U.S. forces fired upon an Iranian cargo ship, the "Tosca," which was heading to Iran's Abbas port, causing it to lose propulsion. U.S. Marines subsequently boarded and took control of the vessel. On the 21st, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming that attacking Iranian cargo ships and taking personnel hostage is an act of piracy and terrorism, demanding the immediate release of the detained vessel and its crew by the U.S.