US Disables Vessel With Hellfire Missile Strike in Gulf of Oman for Breaching Iran Blockade
Gulf of Oman — US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that an American aircraft struck and disabled a Gambia-flagged commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew repeatedly refused to comply with the US-enforced naval blockade on Iran.According to CENTCOM, the vessel was heading toward an Iranian port when US forces issued more than…
Gulf of Oman — US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that an American aircraft struck and disabled a Gambia-flagged commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew repeatedly refused to comply with the US-enforced naval blockade on Iran.
According to CENTCOM, the vessel was heading toward an Iranian port when US forces issued more than 20 warnings. After the crew failed to respond, a US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile at the ship’s engine room, rendering it immobile and unable to continue toward Iran.
CENTCOM stated that this marks the latest in an escalating enforcement campaign, with US forces having now disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 others to ensure full compliance with the blockade imposed on Iran.
The operation signals Washington’s increasingly aggressive posture in enforcing maritime restrictions, raising concerns among international shipping and trade observers about freedom of navigation in the strategically critical Gulf of Oman.
