US blockade: Missile cripples crude oil tanker M/T Lexie, preventing it from reaching Iran's Kharg Island

The US military has disabled an empty oil tanker Tuesday after it ignored repeated warnings and attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf, the Central Command said.

A US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie, preventing it from reaching Kharg Island, CentCom said in a statement.

The vessel was transiting international waters when it failed to comply with directions over a 24-hour period.

The US military has enforced a blockade of maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports since April 13.

Officials said US forces have now disabled six commercial vessels and redirected 122 others since the blockade took effect.

Kharg Island, a small coral island in the northern Arabian Gulf, serves as the terminal for roughly 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports.

Its deepwater berths allow supertankers to dock and load directly, making it the centerpiece of Iran's petroleum export infrastructure, and a focal point of the ongoing US enforcement effort.

The incident comes amid ongoing efforts to restrict Iran's access to oil exports. No injuries were immediately reported in the statement.