US forces disable ship ‘attempting to run’ Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman

Key Points:

• US forces disabled the Panama-flagged commercial cargo vessel M/V Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman after it ignored warnings and tried to breach the US naval blockade against Iran, using a precision strike that disabled the ship without harming the crew.
• Since July 14, US forces have enforced a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, disabling four commercial vessels, turning back 135 ships, and destroying 10 tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ shadow network.
• The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have struck a vessel, the LPG carrier NV Sunshine, in the Strait of Hormuz for taking an "illegal route," asserting control over the strait and enforcing its own blockade amid the ongoing conflict.
• The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported incidents involving attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, with crew members reported safe but investigations ongoing into damage and environmental impacts.
• The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical maritime route for global oil and gas shipments, with increased risks to vessels amid the US-Israel war on Iran, as Tehran seeks to control shipping routes and enforce permissions for transit.