US aircraft disables commercial ship in Gulf of Oman

A U.S. military aircraft disabled a commercial ship in the Gulf of Oman on Friday after it ignored repeated warnings and attempted to sail toward an Iranian port, according to U.S. officials. The vessel, identified as the Gambia-flagged MV Lian Star, was left adrift after the action.

U.S. Central Command stated that forces issued more than 20 warnings to the ship as it moved through international waters. After the vessel failed to comply, a U.S. aircraft fired upon it to halt its transit. Officials confirmed U.S. forces have not boarded the disabled ship.

This incident marks at least the sixth vessel the U.S. military has stopped from attempting to breach a naval blockade imposed on April 17. The blockade is a response to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping channel, following the outbreak of hostilities that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28. A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since April 7.

The closure and subsequent blockade have significantly disrupted global trade, shaking the world economy. The strait normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil trade, along with significant amounts of natural gas and...