US military says it fired on commercial vessel in Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach blockade

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Central Command said late Saturday it disabled a St. Kitts-flagged ship after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region after visiting an Iranian port. U.S. forces have been enforcing a naval blockade on Iran for months in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial strategic waterway for global shipping, including of oil. The last confirmed U.S. strike on a cargo vessel was nearly a month ago in the Gulf of Oman.

Saturday’s disclosure comes in the wake of at least two instances in which U.S. Central Command did not announce military strikes it has taken in the region and officials at the command declined to confirm strikes when asked about local reports of explosions. Iran state media also reported on Saturday evening the sound of explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as several explosions in the port of Jask. It wasn’t immediately clear what the cause of the explosions was and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

The Iranian military said late Saturday that two tankers had hit mines in the Hormuz area and caught fire. It did not identify the tankers’ flags or destinations. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. military had carried out new limited strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian air defense system. Trump described the military action to reporters as “minor.” U.S. Central Command ultimately didn’t comment on the action even after the strikes were confirmed by Trump.

For weeks now, Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, which were held on Nov. 3. The Middle East and beyond have been on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months. The more than 8-month-old war has rattled global markets and diplomacy to end it has stalled. October saw the most attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since March, as Iran has tried to ramp up economic pressure on the U.S. to get it to lift its blockade. ___ Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington.