Centcom announces the disruption of a cargo ship that attempted to violate the blockade imposed on Iran

Listen to the article. The audio text is automated, generated by an automated system

US Central Command (Centcom) said on Sunday that US forces disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on October 10, after the ship's crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade currently imposed on Iran.

A US fighter plane targeted the stern of the Panama-flagged ship Ocean Molica (also known as Arica Sun) with a precision-guided munition, completely disabling the ship's propulsion system without harming the crew.

The large cargo ship was trying to cross territorial waters after leaving an Iranian port earlier.

US Central Command forces resumed the US blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports on July 14.

Four commercial ships were disabled, and 135 other ships were forced to change their course and turn back within three months of strict implementation of the blockade, according to the command statement.

In addition, US forces destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' secret network - worth billions of dollars - during the same period.

The command statement stressed that all sailors must adhere to the blockade warnings issued by the US Central Command forces.

He asked the crews to continue following the “Sailors’ Notices” broadcast and to communicate with the US Navy forces via Channel 16 (designated for direct communication between ships) when sailing in the Gulf of Oman and the entrances to the Strait of Hormuz.