US Military Claims Disabling Cargo Ship in Arabian Sea as Iran Reports Tanker Fires

Washington, Tehran: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has claimed it disabled a commercial vessel in the Arabian Sea. According to CENTCOM, the ship’s crew allegedly attempted to breach the US naval blockade against Iran, ignoring several warnings.

According to CENTCOM, a US military aircraft struck and disabled the cargo ship MV Hadda, which was flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis.

The US military says the crew was told to move away from the areas that were to be targeted before the strike. According to CENTCOM, the vessel was attempting to leave regional waters after calling at an Iranian port.

According to figures released by CENTCOM, since July US forces have redirected 147 commercial ships that complied with orders, while five more vessels were stopped for refusing to obey.

Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations centre has reported an incident between a commercial vessel and military forces in the Arabian Sea. The agency said information on possible damage to the ship, the condition of its crew and the environmental impact was not available at the time, and investigations are ongoing. It is not yet clear whether the two statements relate to the same incident.

Iranian Navy Claim

The IRGC Navy claims two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines near the Strait of Hormuz. One tanker was near the strait and the other was further east.

The statement follows Iranian media reports that explosion-like sounds were heard in various parts of Hormozgan province. The state broadcaster reported similar sounds in Qeshm, Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas, although initial reports did not state the cause.

The IRGC Navy said both tankers had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and were trying to pass through sea routes that Iran considers unauthorised. Iranian forces warned that vessels entering unauthorised areas in violation of Iran’s rules could face the danger of mines.

The statement told ships not to rely on CENTCOM instructions. The IRGC Navy did not say whether the tanker incident and the sounds heard in Hormozgan were part of the same event.