U.S. Military Says It Neutralized Tanker Attempting to Transport Iranian Oil with Missiles

The U.S. military announced on June 11 that it neutralized a tanker attempting to transport Iranian oil, breaking through the U.S. "counter-blockade" of the Strait of Hormuz on June 10 (local time).

U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, stated in a post on X, "We conducted an operation against the Guinea-Bissau-flagged 'M/T Zalbia' as it attempted to transport Iranian oil through the Gulf of Oman."

It added, "After the crew (of the Zalbia) repeatedly failed to comply with U.S. military instructions, U.S. aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the vessel's engine room."

Following orders from President Donald Trump, the U.S. military has been blocking all vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas through the Strait of Hormuz since April 13, cutting off Iran's maritime trade and war funding sources.

This marks the third time this week that the U.S. military has neutralized an Iran-linked vessel attempting to breach the blockade.

On June 8, the Palau-flagged 'M/T Maribex' was neutralized, followed by the 'M/T Settebello' on June 9.

This brings the total number of civilian vessels neutralized by the U.S. military since the implementation of the blockade to nine.

Additionally, U.S. Central Command reported that it has turned back 135 merchant vessels to date and has permitted 42 humanitarian aid ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.