US forces disable cargo ship accused of trying to breach Iran blockade

US forces disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday.

The US Central Command said the Panama-flagged vessel, Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, had left an Iranian port and tried to pass through waters covered by the US blockade.

CENTCOM said a US fighter jet struck the ship’s stern, disabling its propulsion, and that no crew members were harmed.

The US says its blockade applies to ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, and it has warned vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz to follow its instructions.

CENTCOM says that over three months it has disabled four commercial ships and turned back 135 others.

These figures were announced by the US military and have not been independently verified.

The incident comes as attacks on ships and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz threaten commercial shipping; the strait carried about a fifth of the world’s oil before the war began.

The US military urged mariners to heed its warnings, monitor navigation notices and contact US naval forces.