USA opened fire on the engine room of M/T LAVINE: The commercial ship was stopped US Central Command announced that it stopped the commercial ship M/T
USA opened fire on the engine room of M/T LAVINE: The commercial ship was stopped
US Central Command announced that it stopped the commercial ship M/T LAVINE, which it claimed tried to violate the naval blockade of Iranian ports four times, by opening fire in the Gulf of Oman. According to the US side, the crew did not comply with the warnings and the ship's engine room was targeted. The ship's flag, cargo and crew status have not yet been disclosed.
The US army announced that it disabled the commercial ship named M/T LAVINE by opening fire in the Gulf of Oman. US Central Command Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins claimed that the ship tried to cross the blockade line for Iranian ports at least four times and did not comply with the instructions.
According to the US statement, warnings were given to the ship's crew before opening fire. When the warnings were not followed, shots were fired into the ship's engine room and its propulsion capability was eliminated. The incident was the second commercial ship reported to have been stopped by fire after the USA reimposed the blockade. US Central Command also reported that 12 ships were diverted.
As of the morning of July 25, LAVINE's flag, registered owner, operator, cargo, port of departure and planned destination have not been disclosed to the public. It is also unknown whether there were any deaths or injuries among the crew, which weapon system was fired at the ship, and the extent of the damage to the engine room.
The current narrative about the incident is based solely on US military authorities. No detailed explanation has been made by the ship captain, shipowner, flag state or Iran about the course of the incident that can be independently verified. For this reason, the expression "ship violating the blockade" should be conveyed as an allegation of the US authorities, not as a finalized legal determination.
Shooting into the engine room of a merchant ship can create secondary risks such as the ship drifting, fire, oil or fuel leaks and the crew being forced to abandon ship. Since it has not been announced whether the ship was towed to a safe anchorage or port, the file has not yet been closed in terms of maritime safety.
The available information regarding the validity of the blockade in terms of international law, its scope, form of declaration, effectiveness and conditions for its application to neutral ships is not sufficient to make a definitive assessment. Likewise, even if the claim that the crew did not comply with the warnings is confirmed, it must be examined separately whether the force used was necessary and proportionate.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
