Reuters
Smoke and fire rise from a commercial cargo vessel following a strike, which US Central Command says it had disabled in the Gulf of Oman after the ship's crew ignored warnings and attempted to run a naval blockade against Iran. [Photo Credit: Reuters]
The US military said on Saturday it had disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the ship’s crew ignored warnings and attempted to run a naval blockade against Iran.
CENTCOM said the cargo vessel had attempted to transit regional waters after leaving an Iranian port.
Reuters was not immediately able to reach the bulk carrier’s operator for comment.
CENTCOM warned mariners in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz to heed blockade warnings, monitor notice-to-mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces.
The number of vessels transiting the vital strait fell to the lowest in more than two months after attacks on tankers reached their highest level last week since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February, raising concerns over shipping disruptions and supporting crude prices.
Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried 20% of the world’s oil consumption.
