US forces disable ship ‘attempting to run’ Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman

United States forces have disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew "ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran", according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Key points

• US forces additionally destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC's) "multibillion-dollar shadow network" over the same period, CENTCOM stated.
• Tehran has attempted to enforce control over the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran, insisting that ships obtain permission to cross via its preferred routes.
• The vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after "having previously departed an Iranian port".
• In an official note carried by official Iranian media, the IRGC asserted Iranian forces "have taken control of the administration of the strait".
• While the damage and environmental impact remained unknown at the time of the report, the UK agency remarked crew members were noted safe.

For context, a US military fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, additionally known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on Saturday, "fully disabling the ship's propulsion without harming the crew", CENTCOM stated in an official note. The vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after "having previously departed an Iranian port".

CENTCOM remarked its forces resumed their blockade against all ships "entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14", disabling four commercial vessels and turning around 135 ships during "three months of strict enforcement".

As Tehran seeks to enforce its own blockade on the vital waterway, meanwhile, Iran's IRGC remarked it struck a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz for attempting to take an "illegal route".

"In carrying out this mission, a few hours ago, a giant LPG carrier named NV Sunshine, owned by NatWit, which was attempting to transit via the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz, was struck, " the statement remarked.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency remarked on Sunday that an outbound tanker in the strait was struck on the port side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire on board. While the damage and environmental impact remained unknown at the time of the report, the UK agency remarked crew members were noted safe.

Tehran has attempted to enforce control over the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israel war on Iran, insisting that ships obtain permission to cross via its preferred routes. Nevertheless, vessels have increasingly risked taking an alternative route hugging the strait's southern coast.

Notably, the UKMTO remarked on Thursday that a vessel sailing 94km (58 miles) north of Madinat ash Shamal, off the north coast of Qatar, was struck by multiple projectiles, resulting in a number of casualties.

Notably, the agency did not specify the origin of the ship or the number of individuals killed or injured, adding that authorities were investigating the incident against the backdrop of a recent rise in attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

Ships in the Gulf attempting to cross the strait. It is the sole maritime route in or out of the oil-rich region, have faced repeated attacks since the US and Israel began the war in late February.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains vital to the global economy, with regarding a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passing through the passage before the war began.

Taken together, the developments around US forces disable ship 'attempting to run' Iran blockade in Gulf of point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.