US Military Says It Fired on Vessel Breaching Iran Blockade

U.S. forces fired on and disabled the commercial cargo ship M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday. Central Command said the St. Kitts-flagged vessel ignored warnings and tried to breach the blockade on Iran.

• A U.S. aircraft struck the ship's stern with precision munitions, CENTCOM said.
• CENTCOM said it told the crew to leave the targeted spaces first.
• 147 ships have been redirected since July; five refused and were disabled, CENTCOM says.
• The last confirmed U.S. strike on a cargo ship came nearly a month ago.

Why it matters: The U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iran for months around the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a key shipping route, including for oil.

• Trump said Friday that U.S. forces hit an Iranian air defense system, calling the action "minor."
• CENTCOM has not announced at least two other strikes and declined to confirm them.

How 13 sources split on this story

Where they split: Outlets differ on emphasis: AP-based reports stress CENTCOM's unannounced strikes and the risk of wider war, while The Gateway Pundit presents the strike as one of a series of successful blockade enforcements.

What’s next: Adm. Brad Cooper ordered a new Tampa-based task force, Task Force Iron Gate. CENTCOM says it will target weapons, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue crossing Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.

• Trump has said for weeks that he is weighing new strikes on Iran after the midterms.
• What caused the explosions Iranian state media reported on Qeshm Island and in Jask?
• Were any of the Huda's crew members hurt in the strike?
• Will the U.S. resume full-scale operations against Iran?