AZE.US
The U.S. military said it struck and disabled the commercial cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings and tried to violate Washington’s naval blockade of Iran.
The St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship was attempting to leave regional waters after visiting an Iranian port, according to U.S. Central Command. Vesti Baku reports, citing CENTCOM, Reuters and The Associated Press, that U.S. forces first ordered the civilian crew to leave the areas selected for attack.
A U.S. military aircraft then fired precision munitions at the stern of the M/V Huda, leaving the ship disabled, CENTCOM said.
The command did not disclose the vessel’s cargo, the number of crew members aboard or their condition. The circumstances of the incident have not been independently verified.
New Task Force Targets Routes Through the Caspian
CENTCOM also announced the creation of Task Force Iron Gate, a Tampa-based unit intended to restrict Iran’s movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technology, sanctioned materials and what Washington describes as illicit revenue across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
The initiative expands U.S. pressure beyond the naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman and toward Iran’s northern transport routes.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied with military instructions since July and disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply. It also estimated that the blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil. Those figures are U.S. military claims and have not been independently verified.
Tensions Around the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media reported explosions Saturday on Qeshm Island and in the port of Jask. The causes were not immediately known.
Iran’s military separately said two tankers struck mines near the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire, but it did not identify the vessels, their flags or their routes.
The developments come amid U.S. warnings that military operations against Iran could expand and Iranian threats to retaliate against infrastructure in Gulf states.