US forces disable commercial vessel in Gulf of Oman for trying to breach Iran blockade
US forces on Saturday used precision munitions to disable the cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman, saying its crew ignored warnings about the naval blockade of Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards separately said two oil tankers hit mines in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said on Saturday, 8 November, that it had "disabled" the commercial vessel M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman. The ship sails under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis. According to the command, its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and made several attempts to breach the US naval blockade of Iran. The incident matters because it shows tension between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipping, is rising again.
How the strike unfolded
CENTCOM said a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the vessel's stern after forces had directed the crew to leave the targeted spaces. The cargo ship had tried to leave regional waters after visiting an Iranian port. The command stressed that it would continue to strictly enforce the blockade.
CENTCOM's figures show that since July US forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied with the blockade and disabled five that refused. It added that it had previously destroyed another 10 Iranian oil tankers that were part of a multibillion-dollar "shadow network" run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported late on Saturday an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces about 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE National Guard said early on Sunday that 22 people had been rescued from a cargo ship in the gulf.
Iranian claims about mines
The navy of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers, one east of the Strait of Hormuz and one inside it, caught fire after hitting mines. The Guards said the ships had switched off their navigation systems and used an unauthorised route. They also warned that any vessel cooperating with the US military and entering the unauthorised area would "inevitably hit a mine".
Tensions have flared again in recent days after the end of the US midterm elections. On Friday night, explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, and the Tasnim news agency said two missiles had hit the area. A few hours later, US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had targeted an Iranian air defence system. On Saturday night, Iranian news agencies reported further explosions in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas.
