US Central Command (CENTCOM) said a US fighter jet struck the commercial vessel Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, October 10, completely disabling its propulsion system. The US military claimed the vessel had ignored repeated warnings after leaving an Iranian port and was attempting to breach the naval blockade of Iran.

According to CENTCOM’s statement, the US fighter jet used precision-guided munitions to strike the stern of the Panama-flagged vessel. The US military said none of the crew members were injured in the attack.

Ocean Molica is a 225-metre bulk carrier built in 1996, with a deadweight capacity of about 70,000 tonnes. It is registered under International Maritime Organization number 9139270.

CENTCOM claimed that since the blockade of Iranian ports resumed on July 14, US forces have disabled four commercial vessels, forced 135 ships to turn back and destroyed 10 oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ oil network. These figures were provided by the US military, and not all the incidents have been independently verified.

The US military also warned vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman and along routes leading to the Strait of Hormuz to comply with naval blockade notices, monitor official maritime advisories and maintain contact with US naval forces on VHF Channel 16.

Reuters also reported the incident but said it had been unable to contact the vessel’s operator for comment. At the time of publication, no official Iranian response to the attack had been found in the sources reviewed.