US says fighter jet struck cargo ship trying to break Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman

The U.S. military said overnight Saturday that it had disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade on Iran. "A U.S. fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision-guided munition," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. "The strike completely disabled the vessel's propulsion system without injuring any crew members." CENTCOM said the cargo ship had attempted to navigate regional waters after departing an Iranian port. "US forces resumed the blockade on all vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports on July 14," CENTCOM said. "During three months of strict enforcement, four commercial vessels have been disabled and 135 ships have been forced to change course and turn back. In addition, U.S. forces destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' multibillion-dollar shadow shipping network during the same period." CENTCOM urged all mariners to comply with blockade warnings issued by U.S. forces, continue monitoring official Notices to Mariners and contact U.S. naval forces when sailing in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified missile in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire on board. No crew members were injured. The U.S. operation comes amid heightened regional tensions following a ballistic missile attack on the international airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. At least 12 people were killed, including an American citizen, and more than 300 were injured. Following the attack, President Donald Trump said the United States might join Saudi Arabia in strikes against the Houthis, but emphasized that he had not yet made a decision. In recent days, Trump has declared that the United States would not attack Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. He also said Washington and Tehran were holding "productive discussions" and claimed that oil was flowing through the Strait of Hormuz at record levels. In a post on his Truth Social platform overnight Wednesday, Trump wrote: "We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran. I want to make it clear to everyone that while Iran is in very bad shape, both economically and militarily, and while the blockade will remain in full force, with oil flowing at a record number of barrels through the Strait of Hormuz (22 million barrels just last night, with not a single barrel coming from or going to Iran!), we will not attack Iran at any time before the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon!" Trump's remarks about "productive discussions" came just a day after he said he did not really want another agreement with Iran. Speaking at a campaign rally alongside Republican candidates in San Antonio, Texas, he said: "I don't think another deal is really something I want to do." Despite weeks of stalled negotiations, the president claimed that "Iran is ready to offer us anything." He added that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was working on an agreement and "doing very well."