Amina Hussain

#USFiresOnTankerBreakingIranBlockade US Disables Tanker Attempting to Reach Kharg Island, Underscoring an Increasingly Costly Blockade US Central Command confirmed it fired Hellfire missiles into the smokestack of the Curaçao-flagged tanker M/T Belma, disabling the unladen vessel after it ignored multiple warnings while attempting to reach Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal, in violation of the naval blockade Washington reimposed on July 15. CENTCOM stated the vessel is "no longer transiting to Iran." This incident fits within a broader pattern we have tracked closely. The blockade, active since April 13, has intercepted 85 vessels and seized 3 outright, according to figures compiled by CENTCOM and cited on Wikipedia's tracking of the conflict, while Lloyd's List reports 26 vessels have bypassed enforcement successfully. The United States estimates the blockade is costing Iran approximately 500 million dollars daily in lost export revenue. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded with a direct warning, stating that regional oil and gas export routes "will either be available to everyone or to no one," a signal that continued blockade enforcement against Iranian exports could prompt retaliation against shipping serving other nations, consistent with the pattern we have since observed extending to Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. This incident occurred during the same week that included a sixth consecutive day of direct US-Iran strikes and preceded oil's subsequent rise past 100 dollars per barrel. It represents one data point within an escalating and costly maritime confrontation whose resolution remains genuinely uncertain, with real consequences for global energy markets and the civilian shipping industry navigating these waters. $BTC $ETH