US military says it disabled vessel attempting to violate blockade

US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on X on Sunday that the military disabled a commercial cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday, after the ship’s crew "ignored repeated warnings" and "attempted to run the ongoing naval blockade against Iran."

A fighter jet disabled the propulsion system of the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also called the "Arika Sun”). According to CENTCOM, the vessel was "attempting to transit regional waters after having previously departed an Iranian port."

CENTCOM resumed the blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14.

Read: Iran's Pezeshkian says regional diplomacy must go beyond meetings, highlights dialogue, cooperation

According to CENTCOM tallies, it has disabled four commercial vessels and turned around 135 ships so far. CENTCOM further stated that "US forces destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' multibillion-dollar shadow network over the same period."

Trump says Iran may step up actions before midterm elections, muses about renaming Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iran may step up its actions ahead of the US’ Nov. 3 midterm elections – now just weeks away – arguing that Tehran believes doing so would hurt the US.

He also claimed that Washington could end the confrontation quickly.

“They'll probably do a little bit extra before the election, thinking it's going to hurt us,” Trump said in remarks in the Southern state of Tennessee, a longtime stronghold of the president’s Republican Party, where Trump travelled to hold a campaign rally.

“But we could end it really quick,” he added, claiming he had shown restraint toward Iran despite what he called the destruction of the Iranian navy.

“They don't know how nice I've been to them,” he said, claiming that 159 Iranian ships have been sunk since late February, the start of the ongoing war.

Read more: IRGC says it struck LPG tanker attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz

Trump also mused about the flashpoint Strait of Hormuz: “We're thinking about renaming it to the Trump Strait.”

Trump previously said the war with Iran might end just after the November 3 midterm congressional elections, in which the ongoing war has emerged as a key issue.

The president is not running in the midterms, but he is campaigning for fellow Republicans, working to help them keep control of one or both houses of Congress.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks in the region and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.

The war has continued for more than seven months, driving up global energy prices as commercial oil traffic through the strategic waterway has effectively halted.

The US and Iran signed a framework agreement in June after Pakistan and Qatar mediated to halt hostilities and pave the way for negotiations.

Implementation of the deal has since stalled amid disagreements, including on security and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tanker catches fire after being struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz: Maritime agency

A tanker caught fire after being struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday.

The master of the outbound tanker reported that the vessel was struck on its port side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire onboard, said the UKMTO.

The crew was reported safe, while the extent of the damage and any environmental effects remain unknown.

Authorities are investigating, and vessels were advised to transit the area with caution.

The incident came hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said late on Saturday that an oil supertanker struck a naval mine and exploded while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through an unauthorised southern route.

The IRGC said the vessel, which it described as capable of carrying around 2 million barrels of oil, had switched off its navigation systems before trying to cross the vital shipping route for global energy and commodity supplies.

It said the tanker struck a mine while trying to exit through the alternative route, triggering an explosion visible from coastal areas.