US military says strike disabled ship trying to run blockade on Iran

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has disabled the St Kitts-flagged M/V Huda, a commercial cargo vessel, in the Gulf of Oman. According to Gulf News, the vessel was struck by precision munitions fired from a US military aircraft after its civilian crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach a naval blockade following a visit to an Iranian port. CENTCOM stated that the crew had been instructed to abandon the area before the strike.

In a separate development, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper directed the formation of Task Force Iron Gate on November 7. Gulf News reports the team will consist of approximately 20 civilian and military personnel based in Tampa, Florida, to coordinate with US agencies to prevent Iran from transporting advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue via land routes and the Caspian Sea.

Daily Times notes this task force is being established to bolster efforts to restrict the movement of advanced weapons systems and sanctioned materials across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.

The Times of Israel reports that Iranian media has noted explosions on Qeshm Island and in the port of Jask, though the US military did not respond to comments regarding that matter. Iran has stated that two tankers hit mines in Hormuz.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Gulf News, Daily Times — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.