CENTCOM said on Oct. 10 forces in the Gulf of Oman rendered a merchant vessel
unseaworthy after its crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach a
maritime blockade targeting Iran. A US fighter used a precision-guided weapon to
strike the stern of the Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Molica, disabling its
propulsion system; there were no crew casualties. The ship had departed an
Iranian port and was attempting to transit the area. CENTCOM said it resumed
blockade operations of all vessels to and from Iranian ports on July 14. During
a three-month period of strict enforcement, four merchant vessels have been
rendered unseaworthy and 135 vessels ordered to turn back; US forces also
destroyed 10 tankers linked to an IRGC-affiliated shadow network worth tens of
billions of dollars.
