Washington has now forcibly halted four ships it said were attempting to violate the blockade, which has been in place since April 13.

A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet disabled the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda by “firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that included footage of the strikes on the two vessels.

On Wednesday, an F/A-18 disabled another Iranian-flagged ship – the M/T Hasna – by firing its 20mm cannon at the vessel’s rudder.

And on April 19, the Iranian-flagged M/V Touska attempted to violate the blockade and ignored multiple warnings from a US destroyer, CENTCOM said at the time.

The American warship eventually directed the ship’s crew to evacuate its engine room, which it then hit with multiple rounds from its five-inch gun, disabling the vessel.

Tehran’s forces effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway – a key route for oil and gas shipments – after the start of the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran on Feb 28.

The US announced its blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough last month.