The United States military says it has disabled a commercial cargo vessel that attempted to breach its naval blockade of Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
The US Central Command said on Saturday that the St Kitts-flagged vessel had attempted to leave regional waters after calling at an Iranian port.
According to the command, a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the vessel’s stern after American forces instructed its crew to abandon the targeted areas.
The incident comes as Washington intensifies efforts to restrict Iran’s maritime and land-based trade through sanctions enforcement and military operations.
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The US military also announced on Saturday the establishment of a task force to prevent Iran from moving advanced weapons and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.
Central Command said the naval blockade, which has been in place for several months, had prevented Iran from exporting more than 25 billion dollars’ worth of crude oil.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch a new military offensive against Iran, while Tehran has warned that it would retaliate broadly against infrastructure across the Gulf region.
The escalating tensions have heightened concerns among countries in the region.
