US fighter jet strikes cargo ship in Gulf of Oman as Iran blockade tightens

The US military on Saturday disabled a Panama-flagged commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly ignored warnings and attempted to breach Washington’s naval blockade against Iran, as tensions over shipping routes in the region continue to escalate.The US central command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that a US military fighter jet struck the stern of the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, with a precision munition, disabling the vessel’s propulsion system without harming its crew.The Panama-flagged bulk carrier had attempted to transit regional waters after leaving an Iranian port, CENTCOM said.Reuters reported that the US central command (CENTCOM) warned mariners in the Gulf of Oman and near the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz to heed blockade warnings, monitor notice to mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces.The US military is enforcing a naval blockade on…