US Forces Stop Foreign Tanker Breaking Iran Blockade

On July 15, 2026, US forces stopped a tanker flying Curaçao's flag in the Strait of Hormuz after it ignored warnings and sailed toward Iran's Kharg Island. A US aircraft fired missiles into the ship's smokestack. All ships stopped since May flew Iran's flag. This was the first foreign-flagged vessel caught — a difference that could draw more countries into the dispute.