US military destroys Iranian-affiliated ship in Gulf of Oman after evacuating crew

The US military destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in an X/Twitter post.The ship was targeted after being observed "conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman," according to CENTCOM.On Oct. 6, U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow conducting surveillance and targeting U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman. Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters in addition to U.S. Navy warships. Crew members were safely removed prior to destruction of the dhow. Repatriation efforts are ongoing.— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 14, 2026Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has continued to target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters, as well as US Navy warships, CENTCOM added.“Crew members were safely removed prior to the destruction of the dhow. Repatriation efforts are ongoing,” CENTCOM confirmed. US Army disables Panama vessel in Gulf of OmanThe ship's destruction comes after an October 10 announcement by CENTCOM that it had disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to bypass the US naval blockade of Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz.The Panama-flagged vessel, named the Ocean Molica and also known as the Arika Sun, was struck by a US military fighter jet, disabling its propulsion system without harming the crew, according to CENTCOM.