The US military struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Oman, its first attack in over a month near Iran, saying the vessel tried to breach a naval blockade of Iranian ports. The Pentagon said an American fighter jet hit the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica with a precision munition, disabling its propulsion after the crew ignored warnings. Centcom confirmed the crew was unharmed.
The strike came as regional tensions flared, with 12 people killed and 300 injured in a missile attack on Riyadh’s airport days earlier, linked to Iran-backed Houthis. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that a crude oil supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz suffered a powerful explosion after hitting a naval mine, calling it a warning to violators. The blaze was visible from the coast.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US would not attack Iran before the November 3rd midterm elections, a tacit acknowledgment that further strikes could hurt Republican candidates. The Pentagon last struck Iranian targets in early September, hitting five tankers it said belonged to the IRGC in retaliation for attacks on a US Navy ship. Iran has expanded its attacks on commercial shipping beyond the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, creating some of the deadliest conditions for tanker operators since the conflict began.
Source: Financial Times Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing