The US says it has struck and "disabled an unladen oil tanker" that was sailing towards Iran, as part of Washington's naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command (Centcom) said a US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T vessel, after its crew "ignored repeated warnings".

Centcom also released a footage purportedly showing the moment the tanker was hit on Tuesday. Iran has not publicly commented on the issue.

The US military began enforcing its blockade of all vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports on 13 April.

In its statement, Centcom said US forces "enforced blockade measures against Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie as it transited international waters toward Kharg Island".

It said the ship's crew had failed "to comply with directions from US forces multiple times over a 24-hour period".

Overall, six commercial vessels have been disabled and another 122 redirected since the blockade went into force, Centcom said.

The BBC has contacted Botswana's government for comment.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 during a global motorbike journey.

A cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah is seen as crucial to the peace process with Iran.

Under pressure from the polls and Gulf allies, the White House is pushing for a deal but Iran wants concessions, writes BBC's international editor.

Sardar Azmoun has been left out of Iran's World Cup squad, amid reports of a perceived act of disloyalty to the country's government.

Iran and the US say they have carried out fresh strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, with Kuwait condemning "repeated" Iranian attacks.