A US fighter jet disabled a commercial cargo ship attempting to breach Washington's naval blockade of Iran, while a tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by an unknown projectile — a volatile Sunday of fresh incidents in the vital Gulf waterway.
US strike on the Ocean Molika
The US Central Command said on Sunday that one of its fighter jets struck the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molika, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on Saturday. According to CENTCOM, the vessel's crew ignored repeated warnings and the ship had previously departed an Iranian port. The strike disabled the ship's propulsion, and no crew members were harmed.
Washington resumed its blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports on July 14. CENTCOM says its forces have since disabled four commercial vessels, turned around 135 more, and destroyed 10 tankers linked to what it calls Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shadow network.
Tanker struck in Hormuz, IRGC claims control
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that an outbound tanker was hit on its port side by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz at 11:20pm UAE time on Saturday, causing a fire on board. The agency said the crew were reported safe, though the extent of damage and environmental impact was unknown.
The UK agency also acknowledged a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, saying authorities were investigating.
The IRGC said it struck a vessel in the strait for attempting to take an "illegal route", identifying it as the giant LPG carrier NV Sunshine owned by NatWit. In the same statement, carried by official Iranian media, the IRGC claimed Iranian forces "have taken control of the administration of the strait". The IRGC's naval arm also claimed a supertanker caught fire after striking one of its naval mines while leaving the strait — an account that has not been independently verified.
Crew rescued, criticism at home
Meanwhile, the UAE National Guard Command said it had rescued 22 people from an oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf after a fire broke out on board. All 22, described as Asian citizens, were in stable medical condition.
The US strike drew criticism at home from Senator Chris Murphy, who questioned the military campaign on X and wrote that taxpayers were paying billions to hit commercial ships.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically vital waterways; before the war, about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through it.
Sources:
US forces disable ship 'attempting to run' Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman
US warplane knocks out ship breaching Iran blockade as tankers burn in Hormuz
US strike on the Ocean Molika
The US Central Command said on Sunday that one of its fighter jets struck the stern of the Panama-flagged Ocean Molika, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition on Saturday. According to CENTCOM, the vessel's crew ignored repeated warnings and the ship had previously departed an Iranian port. The strike disabled the ship's propulsion, and no crew members were harmed.
Washington resumed its blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports on July 14. CENTCOM says its forces have since disabled four commercial vessels, turned around 135 more, and destroyed 10 tankers linked to what it calls Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shadow network.
Tanker struck in Hormuz, IRGC claims control
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that an outbound tanker was hit on its port side by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz at 11:20pm UAE time on Saturday, causing a fire on board. The agency said the crew were reported safe, though the extent of damage and environmental impact was unknown.
The UK agency also acknowledged a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman, saying authorities were investigating.
The IRGC said it struck a vessel in the strait for attempting to take an "illegal route", identifying it as the giant LPG carrier NV Sunshine owned by NatWit. In the same statement, carried by official Iranian media, the IRGC claimed Iranian forces "have taken control of the administration of the strait". The IRGC's naval arm also claimed a supertanker caught fire after striking one of its naval mines while leaving the strait — an account that has not been independently verified.
Crew rescued, criticism at home
Meanwhile, the UAE National Guard Command said it had rescued 22 people from an oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf after a fire broke out on board. All 22, described as Asian citizens, were in stable medical condition.
The US strike drew criticism at home from Senator Chris Murphy, who questioned the military campaign on X and wrote that taxpayers were paying billions to hit commercial ships.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically vital waterways; before the war, about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through it.
Sources:
US forces disable ship 'attempting to run' Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman
US warplane knocks out ship breaching Iran blockade as tankers burn in Hormuz
