US strikes cargo ship in Gulf of Oman for defying naval blockade

US forces have disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate Washington’s naval blockade against Iran, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.

The St Kitts-flagged vessel, M/V Huda, was struck by precision munitions fired from a US military aircraft, targeting its stern and leaving it unable to continue sailing, CENTCOM said.

According to the command, the crew had been instructed to leave the targeted areas before the strike was carried out.

The vessel had reportedly attempted to leave regional waters after calling at an Iranian port, Anadolu news agency said in a report.

“US forces continue to strictly enforce America’s naval blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The command said enforcement operations since July had resulted in 147 commercial vessels being redirected after complying with US orders, while five merchant ships that refused to comply had been disabled.

CENTCOM also said US forces had destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers allegedly connected to a multibillion-dollar shadow network operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The command urged commercial mariners operating near Iran’s coastline and in surrounding waters to comply with warnings issued by US forces.

It did not disclose the condition of the Huda’s crew or provide further details about the extent of damage to the vessel.