The U.S. Central Command said in a social media post on May 6 that an empty Iranian oil tanker attempted to break through a U.S. blockade that day and sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. carrier-based fighter jet damaged its rudder with cannon fire, rendering it unable to continue sailing.
The statement said the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on May 6 (4:30 p.m. Tehran time), targeting the Iranian-flagged, unloaded oil tanker “Hasna.” The tanker was passing through international waters at the time, heading toward an Iranian port along the Gulf of Oman coast.
The statement said the U.S. military issued multiple warnings to the tanker, stating it was “violating the U.S. blockade order,” but the tanker did not comply. An F/A-18 “Super Hornet” fighter jet launched from the USS “Abraham Lincoln” aircraft carrier fired several 20mm cannon rounds at the tanker, hitting the rudder.
The U.S. Central Command stated that the tanker has now stopped sailing toward Iran but did not mention subsequent handling, while emphasizing that the U.S. blockade against vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports remains fully in effect.
The U.S. side stated that the blockade measures against Iranian ports are still being fully implemented, and the U.S. military will continue to ensure relevant vessels comply with regulations.
There has been no response from the Iranian side so far.
The U.S. Central Command said on April 19 that the U.S. military fired at an Iranian cargo ship “Touska” heading to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port that day, causing it to lose propulsion, and U.S. Marines subsequently boarded and took control of the vessel.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 21st, calling the attack on the Iranian cargo ship and the taking of crew members hostage an act of piracy and terrorism, and demanding the U.S. immediately release the detained vessel and personnel.
A senior U.S. official said the U.S. released Iranian crew members from a seized container ship; the seizure of the ship was part of the U.S. operation to blockade Iranian ports.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday: “As a confidence-building measure by the United States of America, the 22 crew members of the seized Iranian container ship ‘MV Touska’ have been transferred to Pakistan.”
A spokesperson said the U.S. military had handed over the 22 crew members to Pakistan for repatriation. Previously, another 6 personnel on board had been repatriated. According to Iranian confirmation, these 6 personnel were family members of the crew. The spokesperson also said the “Touska” was being handed over to its original owner.
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