U.S. forces board a helicopter to carry out a a maritime interdiction of M/T Majestic X in this photo posted to the Defense Department's X account Thursday. The sanctioned stateless vessel was transporting oil from Iran at the time of interdiction, according to department officials. (Defense Department/X)
U.S. forces have stopped and boarded another sanctioned, stateless oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon announced Thursday, making it the third vessel the military has halted as part of its blockade on Iranian ports.
The Pentagon shared video of U.S. troops boarding the M/T Majestic X, which it said was transporting oil from Iran.
The action was part of a broader U.S. effort to cut off resources and supplies to Iran, which has put a virtual chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. officials have said they will continue to block vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports as part of the Navy blockade, even those traveling outside of the Middle East.
“International waters cannot be used as a shield by sanctioned actors,” the Pentagon said on X. “The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
The military boarded a similar ship, the M/T Tifani, on Tuesday, as it was leaving the Persian Gulf area. U.S. forces on Sunday also disabled a cargo vessel, M/V Touska, as it transited the northern Arabian Sea toward an Iranian port.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to target commercial shipping. The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard fired on three commercial ships, detaining at least two, Iranian state media reported Wednesday.
In a post Thursday to Truth Social, Trump said he has ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill any boat” that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
“Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!” Trump said.
The Washington Post on Wednesday reported that the Pentagon has informed Congress that it could take up to six months for the U.S. military to fully clear the strait of mines laid by Iran. And any such operation, the report said, is unlikely to be carried out until the war ends.
It is not clear how many, if any, mines are in the vital waterway.
