On the 15th, US Central Command released a message on social media stating that a US military aircraft launched a missile at an empty oil tanker that was attempting to sail to an Iranian port, disabling its ability to navigate.
The US military pointed out that the targeted vessel was the "Belma" oil tanker, which was flying the flag of Curaçao. The tanker was sailing through international waters towards Iran's main oil export hub, Kharg Island, in violation of the US blockade order and ignoring multiple warnings. A US military aircraft fired a "Hellfire" missile at the ship, causing it to lose its navigation capability.
At 16:00 US Eastern Time on the 14th, the US military resumed maritime blockade operations targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
Forcing Two Commercial Ships to Change Course
US Central Command stated that within 24 hours of carrying out the blockade operation, the US military had already forced two commercial vessels attempting to break the blockade to change course, and one "non-compliant" ship lost its navigation capability.