United States forces have disabled the St Kitts-flagged Huda cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored repeated warnings and tried several times to break the American naval blockade on Iran, US Central Command said on Saturday. A US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the vessel, the M/V Huda, after the crew was directed to leave the targeted areas of the ship.
FAKTA
- What: A US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of the St Kitts-flagged cargo ship M/V Huda, disabling the vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
- When: Saturday, 7 November 2026, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday evening.
- Why: CENTCOM said the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and tried multiple times to violate the naval blockade against Iran. The vessel had visited an Iranian port and was trying to leave regional waters.
- Crew: CENTCOM did not say whether anyone on board was hurt, how many crew were aboard or what the ship was carrying. Maritime tracking service Vesseltracker reported the Huda was hit at an anchorage area off the port of Khor Fakkan and that all crew members were reportedly safe.
- Tally: Since the blockade resumed in July, CENTCOM says its forces have redirected 147 commercial vessels that complied with warnings and have now disabled five merchant ships that refused to comply.
Huda Cargo Ship Disabled After Repeated Warnings
According to CENTCOM, the Huda cargo ship was intercepted as it tried to depart regional waters after calling at an Iranian port. The command said its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate the blockade multiple times before the strike.
US forces directed the crew to abandon the targeted spaces before the aircraft fired, a step CENTCOM said was taken to avoid loss of life. The command released video of the operation showing the vessel at sea.
CENTCOM did not give details of the condition of the crew or the extent of the damage to the vessel, and it did not say what cargo the Huda was carrying.
Fifth Vessel Disabled Since July
The Huda is the fifth merchant ship disabled since the United States resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports on 14 July, according to CENTCOM figures. The command says 147 commercial vessels have complied with warnings and changed course in the same period.
The last confirmed US strike on a cargo vessel before Saturday was nearly a month ago, when a US fighter jet disabled the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman on 10 October. CENTCOM has also said it has destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers it described as part of a shadow shipping network run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CENTCOM said it continues to strictly enforce the blockade against all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, and it advised all mariners sailing near Iran’s coast to obey warnings from US forces.
Blockade Enforcement Widens
The strike comes on the same day CENTCOM announced a new task force to block Iran’s movement of weapons and sanctioned material across its land borders and the Caspian Sea, extending a campaign that has so far been fought at sea. Read more in Watan News.
Qatar has said its mediation between Washington and Tehran is still active, with no deal reached so far and the blockade of Iranian ports continuing.
What Remains Unclear
CENTCOM has not said how many crew were on the Huda, whether any were injured, or what the vessel was carrying. Vesseltracker’s report that all crew members were safe has not been confirmed by the command.
Read more on the same story at Watan News.
