A U.S. fighter jet stopped a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored repeated warnings and tried to slip through the U.S. blockade of Iran.
Story Highlights
- A U.S. jet hit the back of the Panama-flagged ship Ocean Molica and knocked out its engines.
- U.S. Central Command says no one in the crew was hurt.
- The ship had left an Iranian port and ignored repeated warnings to turn back, officials said.
- Since July 14, U.S. forces have turned back 135 ships, disabled four and destroyed 10 tankers tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Why the Jet Fired
U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, which runs American forces in the Middle East, said the crew of the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, “ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran.” The ship had left an Iranian port and was trying to cross regional waters. The blockade bars all ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. It is the U.S. answer to Iran’s tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea lane that carried about a fifth of the world’s oil before the war.
US Forces Disable Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman amid Iran Naval Blockade. https://t.co/BsVSXCBgAE
Read More.https://t.co/lE272ijjdD#GulfOfOman #USCargoShip #MaritimeSecurity #CommercialShipping #MaritimeSafety #MaritimeCurrentNewshttps://t.co/BsVSXCBgAE pic.twitter.com/9xDEt1a6Hy
— Maritime Current News (@CurrentMaritime) October 11, 2026
The strike came on Saturday, October 10. A U.S. fighter jet hit the ship’s stern, or back end, with a precision munition, a guided weapon aimed at one exact spot. CENTCOM said the hit was “fully disabling the ship’s propulsion without harming the crew.” Propulsion is the engine power that moves a ship. The Ocean Molica is registered in Panama, which is why it flies that country’s flag.
What the Video Shows
CENTCOM released video of the strike. It shows smoke and fire rising from the ship after the hit. The ship’s operator could not be reached for comment, according to reports.
CENTCOM also told sailors in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz to heed blockade warnings, follow official notices to ships at sea and contact U.S. naval forces.
Three Months of Enforcement
CENTCOM said U.S. forces restarted the blockade on July 14. In the three months since, officials said, they have turned back 135 ships and disabled four commercial vessels. They have also destroyed 10 tankers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s most powerful military force. CENTCOM called those tankers part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network” that moves Iranian oil.
The U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran in late February. Since then, Iran has tried to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by making ships ask permission to use its routes. Ships in the region have faced repeated attacks.
The Reaction
Not everyone in Washington cheered the strike. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, questioned it on X, asking, “What is this all for?” He asked why taxpayers are paying billions to hit commercial ships and called the effort “a disaster.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, for its part, claimed it struck an LPG carrier, a ship that hauls liquefied gas used for heating and cooking, in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the ship, the NV Sunshine, was using an “illegal route.” The crew of that ship was reported safe.
Sources:
aljazeera.com, english.aawsat.com, news18.com
