The U.S. military revealed that fighter jets fired missiles at an oil tanker en route to an Iranian port, successfully intercepting the vessel and preventing it from reaching its destination.
On Tuesday, 2 Jun 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that U.S. forces "intercepted" an oil tanker heading to an Iranian port by launching a Hellfire missile strike—the Hellfire name meaning “fire from hell.”
CENTCOM's statement said the oil tanker named "Lexie," flying the Botswana flag, was sailing through "international waters heading to Iran's Kharg Island." The crew "repeatedly ignored warnings" and did not comply with U.S. orders enforcing a maritime blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
"Ultimately, U.S. aircraft intercepted the vessel by firing Hellfire missiles at the engine room, rendering the oil tanker unable to reach Iran," CENTCOM said in its statement.
Kharg Island's deepwater port in the Persian Gulf handles up to 90 percent of Iran's oil exports. The U.S. military has similarly intercepted ships heading to Iran in recent weekends.
Meanwhile, Mehr News, Iran's semi-official agency, citing local sources and residents, reported an explosion-like sound near Iran's Qeshm Island in the early hours of Wednesday (3 Jun 2026 GMT+7).
Mehr News added that the cause of the sound is unclear, noting that neither military nor law enforcement officials have commented on the incident.
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Source:cnn