The U.S. military, which monitors compliance with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, struck a ship flying the Gambian flag that was en route to one of Iran's ports in the Gulf of Oman. This was reported on Sunday, May 30, by the Central Command of the Armed Forces (CENTCOM).
It's reported that the vessel Lian Star was cruising through international waters heading towards one of Iran's ports. The U.S. military "issued over 20 warnings," informing the crew "about breaching the American blockade." "An American aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the engine room after the crew of Lian Star failed to comply with the demands. The vessel is no longer heading towards Iran," stated CENTCOM.
The command's publication also noted that since April—when the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran began, along with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the American military for vessels associated with Iran—the US has 'disabled' five commercial ships, and redirected another 116. Authorities in Tehran, in turn, are blocking the Strait of Hormuz for vessels linked to the US.
Bloomberg: Iran launched a missile strike on the US base in Kuwait.
The US strike on the vessel occurred just hours after news broke of an Iranian missile attack on the American base Ali al-Salem in Kuwait. According to sources from Bloomberg, five individuals sustained minor injuries as a result of the attack. It was also reported that two American MQ-9 Reaper drones, each valued at around $30 million, were destroyed or severely damaged.
Negotiations on the deal between the US and Iran are still ongoing.
A few days prior, the Axios news portal reported, citing two American officials, that US and Iranian negotiators had reached a preliminary agreement on a framework deal to resolve the conflict.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump has yet to give his consent to the agreement with Iran. According to media reports, he is willing to go for a deal only if his fundamental requirements are met. One of these is Tehran's abandonment of plans to develop nuclear weapons.
The leadership in Tehran stated that a final agreement with the US to end the war has not yet been reached.