Published 20.40
US forces have stopped yet another merchant ship as part of the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The Gambia-flagged ship Lian Star allegedly ignored more than 20 warnings on Friday when it steered in the direction of Iran’s coastline, the US military command Centcom writes in a statement.
An American fighter plane then fired a robot into the ship’s engine room.
“The ship is no longer on its way to Iran,” writes Centcom.
The ship is now operating in the Gulf of Oman and US forces have not boarded it, a source with knowledge of the matter told the AP news agency.
The US has stopped five merchant ships and diverted 116 since the naval blockade took effect in April, according to Centcom.
