United States forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday after the ship reportedly ignored warnings and attempted to bypass a naval blockade. According to a statement from the US Central Command (CENTCOM), a military fighter jet utilized a precision munition to strike the stern of the Panama-flagged vessel, M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun. The strike successfully disabled the ship’s propulsion system, though CENTCOM confirmed that the crew remained unharmed during the operation.
The vessel had reportedly departed from an Iranian port before attempting to transit through regional waters. CENTCOM stated that it has been enforcing a strict blockade on all ships entering or departing from Iranian ports since July 14. During this three-month period of enforcement, US forces have reportedly disabled four commercial vessels, turned away 135 ships, and destroyed 10 tankers associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) shadow network.
Tensions remain high in the region as Iran concurrently seeks to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC claimed that it recently struck an LPG carrier, NV Sunshine, for allegedly using an illegal route south of the strait. Reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) further confirmed that an outbound tanker in the area was struck by an unknown projectile on Sunday, resulting in a fire on board with no reported injuries to the crew.
The strategic waterway, vital for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, has seen an increase in vessel attacks since the commencement of the war between the US, Israel, and Iran in late February. UKMTO authorities are currently investigating these incidents, which have become a frequent occurrence as vessels attempt to navigate around routes favoured by the Iranian military.
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