US Forces Disable Cargo Ship After It Allegedly Defies Iran Blockade

US forces disabled the St. Kitts-flagged cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on November 7, 2026, after it allegedly tried to breach the American naval blockade against Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the vessel, which was attempting to leave regional waters after visiting an Iranian port.

According to the command, the civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and made multiple attempts to violate the blockade. It added that the crew had been told to move out of the sections of the ship that were to be hit.

No update was given on how the crew are doing or how badly the ship was damaged, though CENTCOM released footage of the strike.

CENTCOM said that since July, 147 commercial vessels have turned back after following its orders, whereas 5 merchant ships that refused were disabled. Additionally, 10 Iranian oil tankers linked to the shadow network of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were destroyed earlier.

Earlier the same day, Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads CENTCOM, directed the formation of a new Tampa-based unit named Task Force Iron Gate. The unit will work to cut off the flow of sophisticated weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned goods and illicit revenue into Iran by land and over the Caspian Sea.

The blockade covers all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, and CENTCOM resumed it on July 14.

In October, the command said a fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Molica in the same waters, disabling its propulsion without harming the crew.

Usually, US forces aim at the engine room, stern or rudder of such vessels, which stops the ship from continuing its voyage without sinking it.

CENTCOM has advised all mariners near Iranian coastal waters to heed blockade warnings from US forces.

Sources: CENTCOM (via ANI, Anadolu, Stars and Stripes, Israel National News, Arab Times)