U.S. Marines intercepted and redirected an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker they suspected of evading the U.S. Navy blockade on Wednesday.
Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the M/T Celestial Sea as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman, potentially toward an Iranian port. They searched the ship and forced it to alter its course in adherence with the blockade, according to U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. forces continue to fully enforce the blockade and have now redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance,” CENTCOM said.
U.S. military forces have also disabled four vessels since the U.S. Navy blockade began on April 12.
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush launched “precision munitions” at the smokestacks of two Iranian-flagged unladed oil tankers on May 8 as they transited toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. Navy blockade.
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That same week, U.S. military forces destroyed six Iranian small boats that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched toward Navy vessels escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
And on May 6, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired on the Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker M/T Hasna in the Strait of Hormuz as it attempted to evade the blockade after several warnings from the U.S. Navy.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signaled a willingness to continue military strikes against Iran if diplomatic talks between both nations continued to stall, amid an ongoing ceasefire and a possible peace agreement.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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