US military boards Iranian oil tanker suspected of breaching blockade
The United States military boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, escalating pressure on Tehran as the Trump administration pushes Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions in the region.
US Central Command said the M/T Celestial Sea was searched and redirected after it was suspected of attempting to reach an Iranian port in violation of the American blockade. The vessel is the fifth commercial ship intercepted since Washington imposed the blockade on Iranian shipping in mid-April, days after a ceasefire, as part of efforts to force Tehran back to negotiations and reopen the strategic waterway.
