US Central Command forces disabled the Curacao-flagged tanker M/T Belma with Hellfire missiles after repeated warnings near Kharg Island, while also warning the Iranian-flagged crude tanker STARK 1. The operations followed CENTCOM’s July 14, 2026, resumption of a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. Two compliant vessels were redirected without incident, but the Belma was struck on July 15 while attempting to reach Kharg Island. The island handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports and processes approximately 950 million barrels of Iranian crude annually. Brent crude rose above $85 per barrel as the confrontation unfolded, with about one-fifth of global petroleum consumption passing daily through the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM described the blockade as an effort to protect freedom of navigation and respond to Iranian attacks on civilian maritime traffic that had undermined previously established ceasefires. STARK 1 is owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company, which is under international sanctions. The vessel has been tracked carrying laden Iranian oil shipments in the region. The tanker’s name also recalls the USS Stark, which was hit by Iraqi missiles in 1987 during the Iran-Iraq War tanker conflicts, killing 37 American sailors. Sanctioned tankers such as those operated by NITC often use ship-to-ship transfers and flag-of-convenience arrangements to transport oil.