The United States attacked a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, October 10, after its crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to bypass the naval blockade against Iran, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
A U.S. combat aircraft launched precision munitions against the stern of the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as Arika Sun and registered under the flag of Panama. The impact completely disabled its propulsion system and caused no injuries among the crew, according to the statement released by CENTCOM.
The military command explained that the vessel had previously departed from an Iranian port and was attempting to navigate through waters in the region. CENTCOM also posted images of the attack on X.
On July 14, Washington resumed the naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. According to figures provided by CENTCOM, over the past three months, U.S. forces have disabled four commercial vessels and forced another 135 to change course.
The command added that its forces destroyed ten tankers during that period, which are linked to the clandestine maritime network of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. These figures correspond to the official U.S. version.
CENTCOM reiterated that vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz must heed military warnings and navigational alerts, and maintain communication with U.S. naval forces on channel 16.
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