US Destroys Iranian Spy Vessel in Gulf of Oman — It Was Targeting US Navy Warships
GULF OF OMAN — U.S. forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated vessel in the Gulf of Oman after determining it was conducting surveillance and helping target American warships, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday, October 14.
The operation took place on October 6. CENTCOM said the vessel — a traditional wooden dhow — had been observed "conducting surveillance and targeting US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman." The command confirmed the crew was safely removed before the vessel was destroyed, and said repatriation efforts for the crew members are ongoing.
The announcement was accompanied by military video appearing to show U.S. forces targeting the vessel.
In its statement, CENTCOM accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of repeatedly targeting civilian and military vessels in regional waters over the past seven months. "Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners transiting regional waters in addition to US Navy warships," the command said.
According to recent reporting, Iranian forces have increasingly turned to small boats and unarmed spotters to identify potential targets for attacks, following damage to Iran's coastal surveillance infrastructure. Tehran has stepped up efforts to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors.
Security data released this week showed at least 10 vessels attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday — the highest number since the Iran conflict began on February 28, 2026 — with 23 attacks recorded in the first half of October, nearly double the monthly average.
The vessel's destruction comes just days after a separate U.S. operation in the Gulf of Oman. On October 10, CENTCOM said a U.S. fighter jet disabled the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Ocean Molica — also known as the Arika Sun — with a precision-guided munition after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. No crew members were injured.
CENTCOM resumed the blockade against all ships entering or departing Iranian ports on July 14. Since then, the command says it has disabled four commercial vessels, turned back 135 ships, and destroyed 10 tankers linked to the IRGC's shadow oil network.
The October 6 operation was different from the blockade interdictions in one key respect, analysts noted: CENTCOM did not allege the dhow was violating maritime restrictions, but that it was actively surveilling and helping target American warships.
The incident lands amid soaring tensions in the region, where the U.S. and Iran remain locked in a direct military confrontation that began in February 2026.
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