US says it disabled another commercial ship trying to breach blockade and reach Iran
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said the Gambian-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star ignored multiple warnings from US forces throughout the night as it tried to enter the Iranian port. The official stated that the ship was disabled by US aircraft in the Gulf of Oman and drifted there, adding that US forces did not board the ship.
Also read: How much progress have the US and Iran made in ending the Iran war?
With its latest action, the US army stopped six ships trying to overcome the blockade. One was allowed to proceed.
Following the war that started with the attacks of the USA and Israel on February 28, the USA started the blockade on April 17 in response to Iran’s de facto closure of the strait. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7. Now the region and the world are waiting for news on whether an agreement will be reached to extend the ceasefire for 60 days while new talks are held on Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
The events in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman shook the global economy; Transport of significant quantities of oil, natural gas and related materials such as fertilizer has been largely stranded, increasing the pressure on consumers and food producers.
The US blockade aims to limit Iran’s own shipments and further weaken its access to cash, creating further pain for its long-weak economy. US President Donald Trump met with his advisers on Friday but has not yet decided whether an agreement will be reached to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait. Iran, on the other hand, said that the deal has not been completed yet.
Despite Iran’s claims that it must approve any passage, commercial traffic continues to flow quietly through the strait, albeit at a much lower volume than before the conflict.
“Any violation of these regulations will put the security of the crossing at serious risk,” Iran’s joint military command said in a statement carried by state television on Saturday. he said, warning that any military ship that tried to interfere would be targeted.
Also read: Larger proportion of non-Iranian ships passing through Strait of Hormuz: Data
Iran increased transit fees by up to $2 million; Experts called this a violation of the principle of international maritime trade: freedom of peaceful navigation.
Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, deputy prime minister of Qatar, said on Saturday that the Gulf country is against charging transit fees, “but when they say that at certain times they will use it for demining or temporary use of the fees, this is something that can be negotiated and can be something that will help the transit of the Strait of Hormuz to return to the normal phase.”
The US official had previously told the AP that the US had not found or destroyed any mines in the strait.
