US military fires missile to disable ship in Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM says – Stars and Stripes

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter conducts maritime operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 17, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps)

A U.S. military aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into a ship’s engine room to prevent it from breaking through the American blockade of Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
U.S. forces on Friday issued more than 20 warnings to the Gambia-flagged ship M/V Lian Star as it cruised in international waters toward an Iranian port, CENTCOM said in a statement. A U.S. aircraft fired the missile after the ship failed to comply.
The ship was adrift in the Gulf of Oman, and U.S. forces have not boarded it, the Associated Press reported.
U.S. forces have disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 to fully enforce the blockade as a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect, CENTCOM said.
The U.S. launched the blockade on April 17 in response to Iran effectively closing the strait after the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. A fragile ceasefire has held since April 7.
While both sides have expressed interest in broader peace talks, they remain divided on several key issues, including control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has repeatedly attacked commercial vessels in the strait, effectively closing a waterway that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade.
Meanwhile, an Iranian missile strike injured several Americans at a Kuwaiti air base, according to a report Saturday, the latest escalation that could further complicate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war.
In a social media post Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would “make a final determination” on a peace deal during a meeting in the White House Situation Room.
According to the latest Pentagon data, 13 U.S. service members have died and over 400 have been wounded during the operation, known as Operation Epic Fury.
At least 42 U.S. military aircraft — mostly drones — have been lost or damaged since the start of the war, according to a report last week by the Congressional Research Service.

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