US military says it disabled cargo vessel in Gulf of Oman

An ​American military aircraft ‌fired ​on and disabled a commercial vessel that tried to break the ‌US blockade of Iran on Saturday, US Central Command said.

The St. Kitts-flagged cargo vessel tried to depart regional waters after ‌visiting an Iranian port, and a US plane ‌fired precision munitions at its stern after US forces directed the crew to abandon targeted spaces, Central Command said. Building on a ⁠months-long ​naval blockade ⁠on Iran, the US military also said on Saturday it is ⁠launching a task force to crack down on Tehran's ​movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over ⁠its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.

Central Command estimated that ⁠its ​naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil. US President Donald Trump has ⁠been threatening to carry out a new offensive against Iran. ⁠Tehran ⁠has threatened broad retaliation against Gulf infrastructure, putting countries in the region on edge.