U.S. Disables Curacao-Flagged Tanker With 2 Hellfires for Violating Iran Blockade
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 15
U.S. Disables Curacao-Flagged Tanker With 2 Hellfires for Violating Iran Blockade
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 15
Summary
CENTCOM said a U.S. aircraft disabled the unladen M/T Belma after it headed toward Iran’s Kharg Island and ignored multiple warnings, marking the first known ship disabling since Trump reinstated the blockade.
Hellfire missiles were fired into the tanker’s smokestack, and the military said the vessel was no longer transiting to Iran under the renewed effort to stop ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
The interdiction came as the U.S. launched a second wave of strikes on Iran Wednesday, its fifth day of attacks aimed at military capabilities used to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also widened retaliation against U.S. allies, with Bahrain sounding sirens, Kuwait reporting 4 cruise missiles and 21 drones, and Jordan saying it shot down 3 Iranian missiles.
The clash is deepening a standoff over Hormuz traffic after the collapse of last month’s U.S.-Iran understanding, with Brent crude briefly topping $86 and shippers reporting worsening confidence in the route.
Is Iran's demand to control the Strait of Hormuz a negotiating tactic or a new reality for global trade?
With Iran rebuilding its drone arsenal in months, can expensive Western air defenses win a long-term war of attrition?
With 70% of its population in poverty, can Iran's economy withstand a prolonged conflict against the United States?
July 2026 U.S.-Iran Naval Blockade: Enforcement Actions, Oil Price Surge, and Global Shipping Disruption
Overview
On July 15, 2026, U.S. Central Command forces disabled the oil tanker M/T Belma as a direct enforcement of the naval blockade against Iran, which began on July 13, 2026. This action followed a series of escalating events: Iran’s military targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. attacks on Iran over the preceding weekend. The blockade and enforcement actions like the Belma incident reflect the U.S. government’s effort to hold Iran accountable for its attacks on shipping, continuing a pattern of U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets in recent weeks.