US forces disabled cargo ship in Gulf of Oman: CENTCOM

US forces disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach Washington’s naval blockade against Iran, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday. The St. Kitts-flagged M/V Huda was struck by precision munitions fired from a US military aircraft, targeting the vessel’s stern and leaving it disabled, according to CENTCOM. The command said the crew had been instructed to abandon the targeted areas before the strike.

The vessel had attempted to leave regional waters after making a port call in Iran. “U.S. forces continue to strictly enforce America’s naval blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM said, adding that enforcement operations since July had resulted in 147 commercial vessels being redirected after complying with orders. Five merchant ships that refused to comply have also been disabled, the statement said. CENTCOM further said US forces had destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers allegedly linked to a multibillion-dollar shadow network operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The command urged mariners operating near Iranian coastal areas and surrounding waters to heed warnings issued by US forces. The statement did not provide details about the condition of the Huda’s crew or the extent of damage to the vessel.