The US has 'disabled' another vessel trying to breach a naval blockade imposed by Washington to enter an Iranian port, as the world awaits news of a probable end to the Middle East conflict.
The military has stopped another merchant vessel trying to break through the American blockade of Iranian ports, the Associated Press reported, quoting an unnamed US official.
The development comes a day after US President Donald Trump's meeting in the White House Situation Room to make what he termed a 'final determination' on the Iran war ended, though there is still no clarity on the trajectory of the Middle East conflict.
The Gambia-flagged bulk carrier Lian Star ignored multiple warnings from US forces overnight as it tried to enter an Iranian port, the official told AP.
The incident in which the ship was disabled by US aircraft happened in the Gulf of Oman and the vessel remains adrift there, the official said.
The US forces have not boarded the merchant vessel, according to the report.
This is the sixth vessel attempting to breach the naval blockade that the US military has stopped six ships.
Washington imposed a blockade on April 17 as a response to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, after the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28.
A ceasefire was announced on April 7 and has mostly held course, though there is no clarity on whether lasting peace would be ushered in the Middle East.
Trump had hinted on Friday that he would be making a call on the war soon, but there was no clarity even after a 'Situation Room' meeting on whether a deal could be reached.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman has shaken the global economy as a fifth of the global energy shipments that passed through the choke point were disrupted.
That spurred oil prices to touch as high as $120 a barrel, stoking inflationary concerns across the world.
Natural gas and related supplies like fertilizer have also been disrupted, increasing the strain on consumers and food producers.
The latest US blockade is aimed at curbing Iran shipments in an effort to further squeeze its economic pain points.
Iran has sought to charge a fee as high as $2 million for transit through the Strait. The Trump administration has demanded an end to this as a condition to break the deadlock over talks, but the major sticking point seems to be Iran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has reportedly acknowledged that talks with the US are on, but rejected "Trump's demands-based approach."
Originally published on IBTimes
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