Cargo ship attempts to break blockade and sail out of Iran but is paralyzed by U.S. military jets

(Central News Agency, Washington, 8th Comprehensive Foreign News Report) The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said today that a U.S. military aircraft opened fire on a merchant ship that visited an Iranian port yesterday and attempted to break through the blockade and sail out of the Gulf of Oman, paralyzing it and rendering it incapable of navigation.

Reuters reported that U.S. Central Command stated that the cargo ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts-Nevis (Saint Kitts-Nevis) attempted to leave the Gulf of Oman after visiting an Iranian port. The U.S. military instructed all crew members of the ship to leave the planned strike zone and fire accurately at the stern of the ship.

After months of imposing a naval blockade on Iran, the U.S. military said yesterday it was forming a task force to strictly control Tehran's transfer of advanced weapons and other sanctioned items through its land borders and the Caspian Sea.

Central Command estimates that the naval blockade of Iran has prevented it from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch new offensives against Iran, while Tehran has threatened large-scale retaliation against infrastructure in the Persian Gulf region, triggering high alert among countries in the Middle East.