The U.S. military stopped a merchant vessel on Friday, May 29, as it attempted to break through the American blockade of Iranian ports. U.S. Central Command reported that the commercial vessel was attempting to enter an Iranian port.
The vessel, identified as the Gambia-flagged cargo ship M/V Lian Star, ignored more than 20 warnings from U.S. forces overnight. Consequently, the military fired a missile into the engine room of the ship to halt its movement.
The M/V Lian Star remains adrift in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces have not boarded the vessel.