US warplane knocks out ship breaching Iran blockade as tankers burn in Hormuz
A US fighter jet knocked out a cargo ship trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran, as a tanker caught fire in a Strait of Hormuz lane that has come under attack from Tehran’s forces. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/us/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/us/">US</a> Central Command (Centcom) said the jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molika, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on Saturday after its crew had ignored repeated warnings. The ship had left an Iranian port and was trying to transit regional waters in defiance of the blockade. No crew members were harmed, Centcom said in a statement on Sunday. Video footage released by Centom showed an explosion erupting from the ship, sending a plume of smoke into the air, obscuring the vessel. It is the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/10/live-houthis-yemen-riyadh-airport-saudi/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/10/live-houthis-yemen-riyadh-airport-saudi/">latest escalation</a> in a campaign that began with ships being turned away and is now being enforced with live fire. Since resuming the blockade on July 14, US forces say they have disabled four commercial vessels and turned around 135 more. The restrictions cover ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. The strike on the Ocean Molika comes as commercial vessels in the same waters are being hit by projectiles, fires and, by Iran's account, mines. The cause of the incidents remains unconfirmed but they underline the increasing danger in the vital waterway. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an outbound tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/07/iran-has-lost-complete-control-of-strait-of-hormuz-us-claims/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/07/iran-has-lost-complete-control-of-strait-of-hormuz-us-claims/">Strait of Hormuz</a> at 11.20pm UAE time on Saturday, causing a fire on board. All crew were reported safe. UKMTO also reported an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman. The advisory, issued on Sunday, gave no further details, with the time of the incident still to be confirmed. Authorities were aware of the incident and investigations were ongoing, it said. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/">Iran’s</a> Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Navy claimed a supertanker carrying crude oil caught fire after striking a naval mine while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel had entered a designated high-risk area before a powerful explosion, the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried by Iran’s Fars news agency. The account could not be independently verified. Separately, the UAE National Guard Command said 22 people had been rescued from an oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf after a fire broke out on board. A specialised coastguard team responded to a report from the crew, located the vessel and rescued those on board. The 22 people, all Asian citizens, received first aid before being transferred to the relevant authorities. All were in stable medical condition, the command said.