US-Iran Maritime Escalation Threatens Gulf Shipping

US Central Command says American forces disabled the Panama-flagged commercial vessel M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and tried to breach the US naval blockade of Iran. A US fighter jet struck the ship’s stern with a precision munition, disabling its propulsion; CENTCOM said no crew members were harmed. The vessel had previously left an Iranian port. CENTCOM said enforcement of the blockade, which it said resumed on July 14, had resulted in four commercial ships being disabled, 135 turned around, and 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ alleged shadow network destroyed over three months. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticized the strike and questioned the cost and purpose of the campaign. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said it was investigating a reported incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman. Separately, Iran’s IRGC said it struck an LPG carrier, the NV Sunshine, in the Strait of Hormuz for allegedly using an illegal route. UKMTO reported that an outbound tanker in the strait had been hit by an unknown projectile, causing a fire; its crew were reported safe, but damage and environmental effects were not yet known. The article describes escalating risks to vessels as Iran seeks to control passage through the strait and ships try alternative routes along its southern coast. It also reports a separate recent projectile attack near Qatar that caused casualties. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global shipping route, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war.

A supertanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after being struck by an unidentified projectile, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. The vessel’s port side was hit, but it was not immediately identified. The incident remains under investigation. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the tanker struck one of its naval mines and shared video showing the vessel ablaze. The IRGC warned that ships crossing the strait without its permission risked a similar fate. The attack occurred hours after US Central Command said American forces struck a commercial cargo ship that was attempting to leave an Iranian port and breach the US naval blockade. A US fighter jet hit the stern of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the Arika Sun, disabling its propulsion without injuring its crew, according to CENTCOM. The command said US forces had disabled four ships and turned back another 135 since renewing the blockade three months earlier. The article describes an escalation in attacks on shipping in the strait, even as crude oil continues to move at around pre-war levels under US military escort. The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization reported that at least 11 tankers were attacked in the week ending October 4—the highest weekly total of commercial ship strikes in the strait since the war began on February 28. A further 10 strikes occurred the following week. One attack on Monday injured 12 Indian sailors aboard the UAE-owned On Peace oil tanker. The incidents highlight the continuing danger to commercial vessels and the competing US and Iranian efforts to control access through the strategic shipping corridor.

The US military said it disabled a Panama-flagged commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after the ship’s crew ignored warnings and attempted to cross a naval blockade against Iran. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), a US fighter jet struck the stern of the M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the “Arika Sun,” using a precision munition. CENTCOM said the strike disabled the vessel’s propulsion but did not harm its crew. The command said the ship had left an Iranian port before attempting to transit regional waters. Reuters reported that it could not immediately reach the bulk carrier’s operator for comment. CENTCOM urged mariners in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz to heed blockade warnings, monitor official notices to mariners, and contact US naval forces. The report places the incident amid increased maritime risk: vessel traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz had fallen to its lowest level in more than two months. Attacks on tankers had also reached their highest level in a week since the US and Israel began their war against Iran in February, according to the article. These developments have raised concerns about shipping disruptions and supported crude oil prices. Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried an estimated 20 percent of global oil consumption.