US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday that American forces had destroyed an Iranian-linked vessel in the Gulf of Oman after determining that it was conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy warships.
According to CENTCOM, the operation took place on October 6, and the vessel's crew was evacuated before it was destroyed.
"On Oct. 6, US forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman," the military command said in a statement.
CENTCOM also accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of repeatedly threatening military and civilian vessels operating in regional waters.
"Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters in addition to US Navy warships. Crew members were safely removed prior to destruction of the dhow. Repatriation efforts are ongoing."
The announcement comes as American forces continue enforcing a naval blockade of Iran, which resumed on July 14 and covers vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.
On Saturday, CENTCOM reported that US forces had disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate the blockade.
The Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica, also known as the “Arika Sun", had departed an Iranian port before being intercepted in regional waters.
According to the military, an American fighter jet struck the ship's stern with a precision-guided munition, disabling its propulsion system. No crew members were injured.
On Tuesday, the commander of the IRGC Navy claimed that Iranian forces controlled the strategic waterway and threatened to sink American warships approaching the area.
CENTCOM rejected the assertion, pointing to continued maritime operations conducted by US forces and their regional partners.
"CLAIM: The navy commander for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed today that the Strait of Hormuz is under IRGC control and any approaching U.S. Navy warships would be 'sunk,'" CENTCOM wrote on social media.
"FACT: IRGC's navy commander has no navy. American forces and regional partners clearly control the Strait of Hormuz. Just yesterday U.S. forces assisted Gulf partners in shipping more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait," the command added.