US forces strike commercial vessel in Gulf of Oman after crew 'ignored repeated warnings'

The United States military engaged a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, after the ship's crew disregarded multiple warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade of Iran. A U.S. aircraft deployed precision munitions at the rear of the M/V Huda, a vessel flying the flag of St. Kitts, disabling the ship. According to CENTCOM, the crew was directed to evacuate the targeted areas. CENTCOM emphasized its continued strict enforcement of the blockade against Iran.

Since July, U.S. forces have diverted 147 commercial vessels that adhered to the blockade, while disabling five merchant ships that defied the order. CENTCOM has also destroyed ten Iranian commercial oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ extensive shadow network, it added.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported receiving a notification of an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, approximately 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE National Guard announced on Sunday that 22 individuals had been rescued from a cargo ship in the gulf.

Simultaneously, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) navy stated in a statement that two oil tankers, one positioned east of the Strait of Hormuz and the other navigating through the strategic waterway, had caught fire after colliding with mines. The Guards claimed the vessels had been utilizing an unauthorized route. These two tankers, through repeated violations and by disabling their navigation and positioning systems, aimed to transit the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized path. Post-mining explosions, they are burning, the IRGC navy said.

The Guards also accused CENTCOM's commander of "fantasy" and warned that any ship or vessel cooperating with the U.S. military, defying Iranian regulations for the Strait of Hormuz, and entering the unauthorized area, would inevitably encounter a mine. Tensions between Tehran and Washington regarding the Strait of Hormuz have intensified in recent days following the conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections.

Reports of explosions on Qeshm Island emerged on Friday night, and the Tasnim news agency reported that two missiles had struck the area. Hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had targeted an Iranian air defense system. Iranian news agencies reported on Saturday night that additional explosions were heard in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask, and Bandar Abbas.