Hellfire

The AGM-114 Hellfire entered the Iran conflict record on 29-30 May 2026 when CENTCOM fired one into the engine room of the Gambian-flagged bulk carrier M/V Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its propulsion without sinking the vessel or killing its crew. The precision of the strike, targeting the engine room rather than the hull, was consistent with the missile's design as a low-collateral-damage weapon.

The AGM-114 Hellfire is a laser-guided, semi-active missile manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, originally developed in the 1970s for anti-armour use from helicopters. It has since been adapted for deployment from fixed-wing aircraft, drones including the MQ-9 Reaper, and naval platforms. The missile weighs approximately 49 kg with a shaped-charge or multi-purpose warhead, giving it the penetrating power to disable an engine room whilst limiting wider blast damage. Its precision-strike profile has made it a standard tool for US counter-terrorism and maritime interdiction operations.

Using a Hellfire against a civilian commercial vessel was a significant escalation in the Hormuz blockade, marking the first time munitions rather than boarding parties were used to enforce compliance. The choice of weapon implied a deliberate intent to disable rather than destroy, but raised legal questions about the application of force against non-combatant shipping.