US military fires on commercial vessel in Gulf of Oman after it attempts to breach Iran blockade

In the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. military engaged a commercial vessel that tried to breach the Iranian blockade, according to Central Command. The ship, sailing under the St. Kitts flag, disregarded several warnings before attempting to leave the region following a visit to an Iranian port. U.S. forces have been maintaining a naval blockade in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz for months, including for oil shipping. The most recent U.S. strike on a cargo vessel occurred nearly a month ago in the Gulf of Oman.

Saturday's incident follows several cases where U.S. Central Command refrained from reporting military strikes in the region, with officials declining to confirm strikes when queried about local reports of explosions. However, Iran's state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the port of Jask, but it was unclear what triggered the blasts. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to inquiries from the Associated Press.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. military had undertaken limited strikes against Iran, targeting an Iranian air defense system. The strikes were described by Trump as "minor." The U.S. Central Command did not comment on the action, despite Trump's confirmation of the strikes. For weeks, Trump has discussed the possibility of launching a new round of strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, heightening concerns in the Middle East and beyond about the potential resumption of full-scale operations against Iran for the first time in nearly two months.