U.S. forces struck a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored warnings about violating the naval blockade imposed by the U.S. on Iranian ports

U.S. forces struck a Panama-flagged commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on October 10, after the crew allegedly ignored warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade imposed by the United States against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the attack was carried out by a fighter aircraft using precision-guided munitions.

The target was the stern of the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun. The strike completely disabled the propulsion system without injuring any crew members. The vessel had previously departed from an Iranian port and was attempting to navigate the waters in the region.

CENTCOM announced that it had reinstated the blockade on July 14. In the past three months, four commercial vessels have been put out of service, while another 135 were turned back. U.S. forces also claim to have destroyed 10 tankers associated with the clandestine network of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The operation was criticized in the U.S. Senate. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy questioned the use of public resources to attack commercial vessels. Meanwhile, Iran claimed to exercise administrative control over the Strait of Hormuz.

UKMTO (the British center for maritime commercial operations) also reported another incident: an oil tanker was struck by a projectile of unknown origin and caught fire, with no casualties.