US says it disabled cargo ship trying to run Iran blockade

The US military said on Saturday it had disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the ship's crew ignored warnings and attempted to run a naval blockade against Iran.

"A U.S. military fighter jet struck the stern of Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as the “Arika Sun”) with a precision munition, fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew," the US Central Command posted on X.

CENTCOM said the cargo vessel had attempted to transit regional waters after leaving an Iranian port.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach the bulk carrier's operator for comment.

CENTCOM warned mariners in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz to heed blockade warnings, monitor notice-to-mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces.

The number of vessels transiting the vital strait fell to the lowest in more than two months after attacks on tankers reached their highest level last week since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February, raising concerns over shipping disruptions and supporting crude prices.

Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried 20% of the world's oil consumption.

Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal and Abu Sultan in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard/Reuters