The U.S. military just delivered a hard warning to any ship that thinks America’s blockade against Iran is optional.

American forces disabled the St. Kitts-flagged cargo vessel M/V Huda in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings and tried multiple times to violate the blockade.

Here is the operation:

According to U.S. Central Command, the Huda had visited an Iranian port and was trying to leave regional waters when the enforcement action took place. American forces first directed the crew to abandon the spaces that would be targeted.

A U.S. military aircraft then fired precision munitions at the ship’s stern, disabling the vessel. That is targeted force with a clear purpose: stop the ship, protect the civilian crew as much as possible, and enforce the blockade instead of issuing empty warnings.

CENTCOM said 147 commercial vessels have complied with American orders and been redirected since July. Five merchant ships that refused to comply have been disabled, while U.S. forces have also destroyed 10 Iranian commercial oil tankers tied to what the command described as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ multibillion-dollar shadow network.

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The region’s air-power posture is visible, too. CENTCOM showed an Air Force crew chief preparing an A-10C Thunderbolt II for takeoff from a Middle East base on Friday; the command did not identify that aircraft as the one used against the Huda.

The Associated Press reported that the blockade has been enforced for months in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that carries a major share of global oil traffic. The report also noted that the last publicly confirmed American strike on a cargo vessel came nearly a month earlier.

This is broader than one ship. Washington is squeezing Tehran by sea while also pursuing the people, equipment and money behind Iran’s nuclear and military networks.

That pressure campaign now includes a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, personnel and related movements.

The choice for commercial crews is now brutally simple: follow lawful U.S. military directions and sail away, or test a blockade that American forces have repeatedly shown they are prepared to enforce.

 

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