US military disables ship that left an Iranian port, its fifth blockade strike

The US military says it has disabled a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that had called at an Iranian port and was trying to sail out of the region, the latest use of force in the American blockade of Iran’s sea trade.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the vessel, the M/V Huda, which flies the flag of St Kitts and Nevis, ignored repeated warnings on Saturday, 7 November. US forces first told the crew to move away from the parts of the ship that would be hit. An American aircraft then fired precision munitions at the ship’s stern, according to CENTCOM.

It was the first ship disabled since 10 October and the fifth since the blockade began, according to maritime publications citing CENTCOM. The command says it has turned back 147 vessels since July, most of them without firing a shot.

On the same day, CENTCOM announced a new task force to stop weapons and supplies reaching Iran by other routes, including over land and across the Caspian Sea, which Iran shares with Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Why it matters to India

The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, which links it to the Persian Gulf, carry a large share of the world’s oil and gas. India imports most of the crude oil it uses, much of it from Gulf producers whose tankers sail through these waters, and Indians make up a large part of the crews on merchant ships in the region. Every armed incident at sea raises insurance and freight costs for cargoes bound for Indian ports.

The strike came on the day Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in cities in southern Iran, and days after what were described as limited US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz on 2 and 3 November.