The US military has opened fire on an Iranian tanker as fears of a new war in Iran explode. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces targeted the Iranian-flagged oil tanker M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings while sailing towards an Iranian port.
CENTCOM said the incident happened at around 9am ET on May 6 as the unladen tanker travelled through international waters en route to Iran. American forces told the crew the vessel was allegedly violating the ongoing US blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports.
A statement issued on its official X account said: “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces observed M/T Hasna as it transited international waters enroute to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.
After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, U.S. forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran.”
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