NEW YORK, June 3. /TASS/. US military forces struck the oil tanker Lexie, which was heading without cargo to an Iranian port, with a Hellfire missile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported.

"US Central Command (CENTCOM) enforced blockade measures against Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie as it transited international waters toward Kharg Island. The ship's crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from US forces multiple times over a 24-hour period. A US aircraft ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship's engine room, preventing the tanker from reaching Iran," US CENTCOM stated in a message.

According to the statement, since the start of the naval blockade of Iran on April 13, US forces have disabled 6 commercial vessels and diverted 122.