A US military aircraft has struck a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly violated the naval blockade imposed by the United States on Iranian ports.
The incident occurred on Saturday, November 7, when US forces targeted the M/V Huda, a cargo ship sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the American aircraft used precision-guided munitions to strike the vessel’s stern in an effort to disable it and prevent it from continuing its voyage.
US authorities claim that the ship had approached an Iranian port and was attempting to leave the area in violation of the naval blockade. According to CENTCOM, the crew had ignored repeated warnings and made several attempts to breach the restrictions in place.
Before carrying out the strike, US forces reportedly instructed the crew members to move away from the areas that would be targeted. However, the statement released by CENTCOM did not provide details on whether anyone was injured or the extent of the damage to the vessel.
CENTCOM stated that 147 commercial vessels had complied with US orders and changed course, while five others had been intercepted after refusing to follow instructions.
The US military command also said it had previously destroyed ten Iranian oil tankers that it linked to a network associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The strike on the M/V Huda marks the first publicly announced US attack on a cargo vessel in the area in nearly a month. On October 10, US forces struck the Ocean Molica tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which Washington also claimed was sailing from an Iranian port.
Meanwhile, according to CENTCOM’s assessment, the naval blockade has prevented Iranian crude oil exports worth more than $25 billion. This claim by US authorities has not been independently verified.
