U.S. Forces Disable M/V Lian Star With Hellfire Missile to Enforce Blockade

U.S. officials say the strike was meant to stop a ship bound for Iran and to increase pressure on Tehran during fragile cease‑fire talks.

Overview

U.S. Central Command says American forces fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia‑flagged M/V Lian Star after issuing more than 20 warnings, and the command reports the ship is no longer transiting to an Iranian port.
CENTCOM says the action, reported Saturday, is the latest in a campaign that has disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 others to prevent shipments to Iran.
Officials frame the measures as full enforcement of a naval blockade intended to halt cargo headed to Iranian ports and to strengthen U.S. leverage in cease‑fire diplomacy with Tehran.
The strikes and repeated redirections have disrupted regional shipping routes, left crews and commercial operators stranded or delayed, and raised urgent humanitarian and safety concerns for seafarers.
The campaign follows earlier U.S. naval deployments and Project Freedom escorts and now raises legal and escalation risks because the strikes targeted flagged commercial ships in international waters.