US military forces fired on and disabled an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel repeatedly attempted to breach the American blockade imposed on Iranian ports. The ship's crew had tried to force the blockade at least four times before the military engagement, according to United States Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins. US forces fired on the tanker's engine room, leaving the vessel disabled and no longer headed toward Iran.
The confrontation comes amid heightened regional tensions following the breakdown of a June 17 ceasefire in early July. Saudi Arabia suspended flights at Jeddah and Riyadh airports after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan.
The blockade on Iranian ports was reimposed on July 14 as part of the conflict that began on February 28.