US military forces have disabled a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel failed to respond to multiple warnings, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
The aircraft used Hellfire missiles to neutralize the ship, which was flying the flag of Curacao.
The incident marks a direct escalation in the enforcement of the naval blockade reimposed by US forces to prevent traffic to and from Iranian ports.
The development intensifies the security premium on energy shipments through the world's most critical oil chokepoint.
With the fragile truce between the United States and Iran effectively collapsed following days of strikes, the risk of further disruptions to commercial traffic has risen sharply.
Markets are likely to factor in heightened volatility for Brent crude and shipping equities as the threat to route security persists.