US military says it disables cargo vessel in Gulf of Oman attempting to violate blockade

According to a press release issued by CENTCOM on Saturday, a US military aircraft deployed precision-guided munitions targeting the stern of the St. Kitts-flagged vessel M/V Huda to render it immobile.

The strike was carried out after CENTCOM personnel issued direct instructions to the civilian crew to evacuate the targeted sections of the ship to avert loss of life.

"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 7, after the ships civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate the naval blockade against Iran multiple times," the military command stated.

The cargo vessel was intercepted as it attempted to transit out of regional waters after calling at an Iranian port.

CENTCOM highlighted that it is maintaining a rigorous enforcement posture regarding the maritime embargo imposed on Iran.

According to official US military data, blockade enforcement operations underway since July have resulted in US forces redirecting 147 commercial vessels that complied with interdiction protocols, while disabling five merchant vessels that refused to halt.

Furthermore, CENTCOM forces have previously destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers identified as key operational assets within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) multibillion-dollar maritime shadow network.

Issuing a stern advisory following the maritime strike, the US military warned all commercial operators navigating the region: "All mariners transiting near Iranian coastal areas or surrounding waters are advised to heed blockade warnings from U.S. forces."

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced the establishment of a new task force to disrupt Iran's alleged use of ground transit routes for transporting advanced weapons, dual-use technologies and other sanctioned materials, as Washington seeks to tighten restrictions on Tehran's military supply networks (ANI)