Iran: US strikes ship after Hormuz blockade breach

The United States military reported on Sunday that it had targeted a commercial ship attempting to break through a naval blockade imposed by the US on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, the cargo vessel had visited an Iranian port before trying to leave the regional waters, and was subsequently hit with precision munitions fired from a US military aircraft.

An explosion was captured on video on the ship's stern, resulting in a fire onboard. The crew of the M/V Huda, a civilian vessel, disregarded several warnings from US authorities. The UAE authorities reported that 22 people were rescued due to a fire on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman. The US naval blockade, aimed at pressuring Iran to lift its own blockade on the strategic waterway, has been in place for several months.

Iran had blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies typically passed before the war began in late February, leading to a spike in global energy prices. The Revolutionary Guards claimed that three non-compliant oil tankers caught fire while navigating the Strait. Iran has a history of attacking vessels passing through the Hormuz without authorization.

In other Middle Eastern developments, the conflict between Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia continued. Saudi Arabia claimed to have intercepted incoming missiles heading towards Riyadh on Sunday, causing damage to a building owned by state-owned oil company Aramco. Although no casualties were reported, witnesses said that debris from the interception severely damaged some floors of the building.

Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of carrying out two ballistic missile and two cruise missile attacks. While the rebels have not claimed responsibility for the latest attack, they previously carried out similar assaults. The Houthis reported that 33 people died in Saudi-led attacks on Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.