US military says it fired at cargo vessel trying to run Iran blockade
The US military said it had attacked a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday which was allegedly trying to bypass a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
A US military fighter jet struck the cargo vessel with a munition "after the ship's crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran," US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US command responsible for the region, said on X.
"The large cargo vessel was attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port."
The strike fully disabled the ship's propulsion without harming the crew, CENTCOM said.
The US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July in a bid to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz by stifling Iran's revenue from oil exports.
US forces have repeatedly fired at vessels attempting to sail towards Iranian ports and forced tankers to change course.
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