US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday evening, October 14, that US forces had destroyed an Iran-linked dhow on October 6 that it said was monitoring and identifying US Navy vessels in the Gulf of Oman.

In a video of the operation posted on X, CENTCOM said all those aboard the dhow had been safely evacuated before it was destroyed and that efforts to repatriate them were continuing.

The statement provided no details about the number or nationality of those on board, the ownership of the dhow or the precise location of the operation. CENTCOM also did not specify how the vessel was linked to Iran.

Hours before the statement was released, Reuters cited an unnamed US military official as saying that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had begun using unarmed observers aboard small vessels to identify potential targets, including US warships, after US strikes destroyed much of Iran’s radar capabilities.

According to the official, US forces determined last week that Iranian observers aboard a dhow were relaying targeting information to the Revolutionary Guard. After intercepting the vessel, US forces ordered those on board to leave before destroying it. The official said there were no casualties.

In its Wednesday night statement, CENTCOM also accused the Revolutionary Guard of indiscriminately targeting thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters over the past seven months, in addition to US warships. The claim has not been independently verified.

The development comes after two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran had changed its tactics about 10 days earlier in dealing with vessels it considers to be violating restrictions imposed by Iran and had intensified its attacks.

The officials said the new strategy included expanding the scope of Iran’s maritime operations beyond the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Citing maritime security sources, Reuters also reported that recent attacks had spread to waters near the coasts of the UAE and Qatar.

At the time of publication, Iran had not issued an official response to the announcement that the dhow had been destroyed.