JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Central Command said Saturday night it neutralized a St. Kitts-flagged ship after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region after visiting an Iranian port.
US forces have for months imposed a naval blockade on Iran in and around the country. Strait of Hormuza strategic waterway crucial to global shipping, including oil. The last confirmed US strike against a cargo ship took place almost a month ago in the Gulf of Oman.
Saturday’s disclosure follows at least two instances in which U.S. Central Command failed to announce military strikes it took place in the area and command officials declined to confirm the strikes when asked about local reports of explosions.
Iranian state media also reported the sound of explosions on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday evening, as well as several explosions in the port of Jask. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear and the U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
The Iranian military said Saturday evening that two oil tankers hit mines in the Hormuz region and caught fire. He did not identify the flags or destinations of the tankers.
American President Donald Trump said Friday that the US military had carried out new limited strikes against Irantargeting an Iranian air defense system. Trump described the military action to reporters as “minor.” U.S. Central Command ultimately did not comment on the action, even after the strikes were confirmed by Trump.
For weeks, Trump has said he was considering launching a new wave of strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections, which were held on November 3. I was at the end of my nerves on the prospects of the United States resuming large-scale operations against Iran for the first time in almost two months.
THE a war that has lasted for more than 8 months has shaken global markets and diplomacy to end it has stalled. October saw the highest number of attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz since March, as Iran attempted to step up economic pressure on the United States to get it to lift its blockade.
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Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington.
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