US Jet Knocks Cargo Ship Out of Action Near Iran

A targeted strike hit the rear of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman, stopping its engines but leaving its crew unharmed, the US Central Command said. The commercial vessel, also known as the Arika Sun, had left an Iranian port and was trying to cross regional waters, according to the US military. ^1,2

The US Central Command said the crew ignored repeated warnings before a US fighter jet struck the ship on October 10. Washington says its blockade covers ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and that it resumed enforcement on July 14. Over three months, the command says, US forces disabled four commercial vessels, turned back 135 ships and destroyed 10 tankers. It linked the tankers to an oil-shipping network tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. ^3,5

Those 135 redirected ships show how the blockade is reaching beyond military targets and changing commercial routes. The Strait of Hormuz, near the Gulf of Oman, carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption before the war. Traffic through it has now fallen to its lowest level in more than two months. Tanker attacks also reached their highest level last week since the US and Israel began the war on Iran in February. This raised fears of further disruption and helped support oil prices.^2,7 CENTCOM’s account of the ship’s attempted breach has not been independently confirmed in the reports; Reuters could not reach its operator for comment. ²

The Ocean Molica’s engines are disabled. CENTCOM is telling crews in the Gulf of Oman and near Hormuz to heed its warnings, check maritime notices, and contact US naval forces on radio channel 16. The next immediate test is whether commercial ships can keep using the strait safely as the US blockade continues and attacks on shipping persist. ^5,6