US disables Curacao‑flagged tanker M/T Belma enforcing Iran naval blockade

U.S. Central Command said a U.S. aircraft fired Hellfire missiles at the Curacao‑flagged oil tanker M/T Belma in international waters on 15 July, striking its smokestack and rendering the vessel unable to continue toward Iran’s Kharg Island. The tanker ignored multiple radio warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade that Washington reinstated on 14 July to stop oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was the first disabling of a non‑compliant vessel since the blockade’s renewal and was part of a broader wave of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian command centres, air‑defence sites, missile and drone facilities in the Persian Gulf.

Iran condemned the attack, reported casualties from recent U.S. strikes, and launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on regional targets such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The escalation has heightened concerns for global oil markets, as the Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 % of world oil supplies. Analysts note that the incident could push oil prices higher and increase the risk of further military confrontation in the region.