Jerusalem: US Central Command said late Saturday that it had disabled a St Kitts-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region following a visit to an Iranian port.
The vessel, identified as the M/V Huda, was struck by a US military aircraft using precision-guided munitions aimed at its stern to render it immobile, according to a CENTCOM statement. The command said the civilian crew had been instructed to evacuate the targeted sections of the ship before the strike to avert loss of life.
US forces have been enforcing a naval blockade on Iran for months in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial strategic waterway for shipping, including oil. CENTCOM said blockade operations underway since July had resulted in 147 commercial vessels being redirected after complying with instructions, while five merchant vessels had been disabled for refusing to stop.
Saturday's disclosure comes after at least two instances in which US Central Command did not announce military strikes in the region, and officials at the command declined to confirm such strikes when asked about local reports of explosions. The last confirmed US strike on a cargo vessel before Saturday's incident was nearly a month ago in the Gulf of Oman.
Iranian state media reported on Saturday evening that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and at the port of Jask. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosions, and the US military did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said two oil tankers had struck sea mines near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera. Iranian state television, citing the navy, reported that the vessels had passed through an “unsafe” part of the strait with their navigation systems switched off and suffered severe damage after hitting the mines. The claims could not be independently verified.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US military had carried out new, limited strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system. Trump described the military action to reporters as “minor”. US Central Command ultimately did not comment on the action, even after Trump confirmed the strikes.
For weeks, Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections. West Asia and beyond have been on edge over the prospect of the US resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.
(With agency inputs from AP via PTI, ANI)
