US says fighter jet disabled cargo vessel in Gulf of Oman

U.S. Central Command said on October 11 that an American fighter jet disabled the propulsion of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel attempting to pass through its naval blockade of Iran.

According to the command, the vessel’s stern was struck on October 10 after an attempt to breach the blockade. The military released footage of the operation. The National reported, citing the command, that the crew was unharmed.

Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed that a crude oil supertanker struck a mine in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. It said the vessel had used an unauthorised route with navigation systems switched off. That account has not been independently confirmed.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also reported incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. Al Jazeera cited a report that an unidentified projectile struck an outbound tanker. Those reports do not establish who launched the strike.

The incidents come amid the continuing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and stalled efforts by mediators to secure a breakthrough. The U.S. command says its forces have disabled 4 commercial vessels and turned around 135 ships since the blockade was reinstated in mid-July.