A U.S. military fighter jet struck and disabled a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on October 10 after CENTCOM said the vessel ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the U.S. naval blockade against Iran.
The ship, identified as the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, was hit in the stern with a precision munition, disabling its propulsion system, according to U.S. Central Command. CENTCOM said the crew was not injured and that the vessel had been trying to transit regional waters after departing an Iranian port. The command did not provide details about the ship’s cargo, destination or the crew’s nationality.
The strike is part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting shipping linked to Iran, which CENTCOM says resumed on July 14. The military claims that four commercial vessels have now been disabled and 135 ships turned back during the blockade’s enforcement, while 10 tankers tied to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked shadow network were destroyed. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said it received a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces and was investigating.
The action has drawn criticism from U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who questioned the costs and purpose of striking commercial ships, underscoring the growing risks to maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz.