U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM said, after the vessel was observed conducting surveillance and targeting U.S. Navy ships; the report is a key development in the iran us maritime tensions.
CENTCOM announced the action in a social post and said the vessel was targeted because it had been “conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman,” according to a report in The Jerusalem Post summarizing the command’s statement.
The Jerusalem Post cited CENTCOM saying the destruction followed surveillance activity and that “crew members were safely removed prior to the destruction of the dhow. Repatriation efforts are ongoing,” language the military used about the operation.
An Iran-focused outlet reported earlier in June that a U.S. projectile hit a 150-ton cargo dhow near Oman’s Khasab port and that crew members were rescued and transferred to Oman, providing a precedent for similar maritime incidents in the region.
Analysts and officials have for months pointed to a pattern of maritime incidents that U.S. and Iranian-linked vessels say involve surveillance and interference, increasing tensions in Gulf shipping lanes and sparking separate U.S. actions to disable or sink vessels the military accused of threatening navigation.
Within the broader iran us context, CENTCOM’s statement and the June report together show recurring confrontations at sea that U.S. forces say have put Navy ships and civilian mariners at risk.
Sources
- The Jerusalem Post — reported CENTCOM’s announcement that U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow and that crew were removed before the strike.
- Iran International — reported a June incident in which a U.S. projectile hit a 150-ton cargo dhow near Oman’s Khasab port and crew were rescued and transferred to Oman.
