The US hit a tanker near Iran with a missile: video appeared

CENTCOM published a video of the missile strike Hellfire in the engine room of a tanker M/T Lexieheading to the Iranian island Hark.

Video of an American Hellfire missile strike by tanker M/T Lexie was published US Central Command (CENTCOM). According to the American military, the ship is flying the flag Botswana tried to get to the Iranian island Hark and ignored repeated warnings from American forces.

⚡️???? US Central Command says American forces disabled the Botswana-flagged oil tanker M/T Lexie with a Hellfire missile after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings while attempting to sail toward Iran’s Kharg Island.

CENTCOM said the strike targeted the vessel’s engine… pic.twitter.com/6GQMi33gv8

— Global Surveillance (@Globalsurv) June 3, 2026

In the official message CENTCOM it is said that M/T Lexie was traveling in international waters towards the Iranian port on the island Hark. The American side claims that the ship’s crew for about 24 hours repeatedly failed to comply with the demands of American forces operating as part of a naval blockade of Iranian ports. After this, an American plane disabled the ship by firing a missile. Hellfire in the engine room.

The American military emphasizes that the goal was not to sink the tanker, but to stop it and prevent passage to Iran. According to CENTCOMthe ship was empty, that is, it was not carrying oil or other cargo. The published video shows how the missile hits the area of ​​the stern of the ship, after which an explosion occurs.

Footage of the strike was also distributed by international media. ABC published a short video, indicating that this was footage provided by CENTCOMwhich, according to the American side, shows a strike on a ship heading towards the island Hark.

Blockade and new maritime reality

According to CENTCOMthe American blockade of maritime communications with Iranian ports has been in effect since April 13. As part of these measures, according to the command, American forces have already been disabled six commercial ships and redirected more 122. This is how maritime trade turns into a military chessboard, where instead of pieces there are tankers, missiles and insurance companies, which are now clearly not bored.

Some media outlets note that the blow to M/T Lexie became one of the most graphic episodes of the use of force against a commercial ship as part of the American blockade. Anadolu also submitted a statement CENTCOMindicating that the tanker was stopped near an Iranian island Hark after failure to comply with warnings.

Why is this important

Island Hark is one of the key oil hubs Iran. Any actions related to shipping in this area automatically acquire not only military, but also energy significance. Hitting the tanker, even if it was empty and not sunk, demonstrates the US willingness to use direct force to enforce the blockade.

This dramatically increases the risks for shipping in the region. If commercial ships begin to be seen as possible violators of military rule, captains, shipowners, insurers and flag states find themselves in a situation where a misrouting or failure to comply with a military order could result in a missile strike. The wonderful era of global trade: one wrong course and you are already being discussed CENTCOM.

Editorial comment

Formally, the United States is talking about enforcing a blockade and selectively putting the ship out of action. But politically this is a much more serious signal. Hit Hellfire in the engine room of a commercial tanker shows that the conflict is around Iran is moving deeper into the field of maritime logistics and energy.

Even if the ship did indeed ignore the warnings, the very act of using a missile on a commercial tanker sets a dangerous precedent. Tomorrow other parties may use similar arguments: “we didn’t drown, we just stopped,” “we warned,” “we acted within the framework of the blockade.” In a region where there are already plenty of reasons for escalation, this logic quickly turns trade routes into an extension of the front.

For Europe And Greece This is not a distant story from the Persian Gulf. Any instability around Iranian ports, islands Hark and shipping routes has an immediate impact on oil, insurance, freight, fuel prices and shipping safety. The war again shows the old truth: a missile flies into the engine room of one ship, and then the bill comes to half the world economy.

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