U.S. Military Strikes Merchant Ship in the Gulf of Oman, Causing Loss of Navigation Capability

On October 10, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Yang Ling and Liu Guoyuan) that the U.S. Central Command announced on social media that U.S. forces struck a merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman on the same day, rendering it incapable of navigation.

The report stated that the merchant ship attempted to breach the maritime blockade imposed by the U.S. on Iran. A U.S. fighter jet used precision-guided munitions to hit the stern of the large cargo ship flying the flag of Panama, damaging its propulsion system.

The U.S. Central Command also stated that on July 14, U.S. forces resumed blockade operations against all vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports. Within three months, four merchant ships have been rendered incapable of navigation, and 135 vessels have been ordered to turn back. In addition, U.S. forces have destroyed ten tankers associated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In mid-June, after a memorandum of understanding was reached between the U.S. and Iran, two shipping lanes were established in the Strait of Hormuz, namely the northern lane controlled by Iran and the southern lane closer to Oman, where U.S. forces provided navigation assistance. Subsequently, the U.S. and Iran clashed again over the "dual-lane" issue, leading to further airstrikes by the U.S. on Iran, and on July 12, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again. The U.S. Central Command announced on the 13th that it would resume maritime blockade operations against Iran starting at 4 PM Eastern Time on the 14th (4 AM Beijing Time on the 15th).