US disables third oil tanker trying to break through blockade on Iran ports

US forces have disabled a third oil tanker this week attempting to break through the American blockade on Iranian ports, military officials said Thursday.

An aircraft carrier was deployed at around 11:20 p.m. Wednesday to intercept the Guinea-Bissau-flagged M/T Jalveer, which was accused of trying to transport Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman, US Central Command said.

“A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces,” CENTCOM wrote on X.

Video of the strike shows the first Hellfire missile hitting the ship’s engine room from the side, with the second rocket hitting the vessel head-on.

About 20 Indian seafarers were rescued from the ship following the attack, according to India’s foreign ministry.

The overnight assault took place after US forces conducted similar interceptions earlier this week on the Palau-flagged vessels M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello.

The strike on the Settebello on Tuesday also forced about two dozen Indian seafarers to jump overboard, with Oman’s military launching a rescue operation in the waters.

Three crew members, however, were found dead on Wednesday, marking the first merchant sailors to be killed since the US began its blockade on Iranian ports on April 13.

India has summoned Jason Meeks, the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in New Delhi, to protest the deadly strike and earlier attacks this week.

The US maintains that it will not allow any ship to enter or exit Iranian ports in retaliation for Tehran’s decision to shut the Strait of Hormuz.

As of Thursday afternoon, CENTCOM forces have disabled nine ships in the Gulf and redirected another 135 ships attempting to go through, officials said.