US military fires on tanker Lexie off Kharg – sixth stop

The US blockade of all shipping in and out of Iranian ports was imposed in mid-April. It is a response to Tehran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The strait between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula is of enormous importance for the global trade of oil and liquefied natural gas; its blockade has shaken world markets and caused oil and fuel prices to skyrocket.

Kharg Island: Hub of Iranian Oil Exports

Kharg Island, near which the tanker was hit, is a central transshipment point for Iranian oil exports. The Iran War began at the end of February with US-Israeli attacks, after which Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz. The US side responded with the naval blockade of April 13.

According to CENTCOM, the "Lexie" is the sixth merchant vessel rendered inoperable by US forces in the course of the blockade. A total of 122 ships have been diverted. The CENTCOM statement did not contain information on whether people were injured or killed in the missile attack on the tanker.

Reactions and Consequences for World Markets

CENTCOM published the incident on the platform X (formerly Twitter) and provided a video that is said to show the impact of a projectile on the tanker and the subsequent smoke. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified at the time of reporting.

The tanker "Lexie" sailed under the flag of Botswana. The US forces justified the missile attack by stating that the ship had intended to call at an Iranian port and thus violated the blockade. Since the tanker was empty at the time of the attack, the measure, according to the US military, was directed exclusively against the ship's propulsion, not against any cargo.

The naval blockade is considered a direct military response to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With this measure, Washington aims to increase pressure on Tehran and restore international shipping through the strategically important strait. At the same time, observers warn of a further escalation of the conflict, as the USA and Israel had started the war against Iran.

The economic consequences of the conflict are already clearly visible: due to the closure of the strait and the US blockade, prices for oil and fuel have risen sharply worldwide. The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most important trade routes for crude oil and liquefied natural gas; a continued blockade is likely to keep energy prices under further pressure.

The news of the missile attack on the "Lexie" was broadcast on June 03, 2026, on the Deutschlandfunk program. This marked a new stage in the military confrontation between the USA and Iran in the months-long simmering conflict in the Persian Gulf.

With the sixth forcibly stopped ship, the US side continues its line of consistent enforcement of the blockade. At the same time, it remains open how Tehran will react to the missile attack – especially since the attack occurred in close proximity to Kharg Island, which is central to Iran's oil economy.