Washington: US forces have disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to pass through a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
A US military fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged vessel M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on October 10. CENTCOM stated that the strike disabled the ship’s propulsion system without harming the crew.
The vessel had previously departed an Iranian port and attempted to transit regional waters despite repeated warnings. The command noted that the ship’s crew ignored instructions to stop before the US forces carried out the strike.
CENTCOM added that enforcement of the blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports resumed on July 14. Over the following 3 months, US forces disabled 4 commercial vessels and turned back 135 ships.
The command also remarked that US forces destroyed 10 tankers linked to what it described as a multibillion-dollar shadow network associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman on October 11. An outbound tanker had been struck on its port side by an unidentified projectile, causing a fire on board. The crew were reported safe, while the extent of the damage and the environmental impact remained unclear.
The report did not establish whether the tanker described by UKMTO was the same vessel identified by CENTCOM. Authorities were investigating the incident.
Shipping in the region faces growing risks during the US-Israel war on Iran, which began in late February. Tehran has sought to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz by requiring ships to obtain permission to use preferred routes. Some vessels have instead attempted to travel along the strait’s southern coast.
On October 8, UKMTO reported that a vessel about 94 kilometres (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal, off Qatar’s northern coast, had been hit by multiple projectiles. The agency reported several casualties but did not specify the vessel’s origin or the number of people killed or injured.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy supplies. Before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the waterway. Repeated attacks on vessels have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the Gulf.
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