Iran: US strikes ship after Hormuz blockade breach

The US military said a vessel trying to leave an Iranian port was hit due to the naval blockade on the country. On its part, Iran said three "non compliant" oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States struck a commercial ship attempting to breach its naval blockade on Iran , the US military said Sunday. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the cargo vessel "tried to depart regional waters after visiting an Iranian port," before its stern was struck by "precision munitions" shot from a US military aircraft.

In a video posted by CENTCOM, an explosion can be seen on the M/V Huda's stern as a result of the shooting, with the ship's civilian crew ignoring "repeated warnings." The US naval blockade on Iran, intended to pressure the country into lifting its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz , has been in force for months. Iran's own blockade of the waterway, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies flowed before the war started in late February, saw energy prices spike around the world.