U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that on October 10, it disabled a Panama-flagged commercial vessel with a warplane as it attempted to breach the U.S. naval blockade of Iran near the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Navy (IRGC-N), meanwhile, characterized the tanker fire the same day as a supertanker on an unauthorized route striking a sea mine.
According to ISNA's report, CENTCOM's statement said the large cargo vessel MV Ocean Molica (also known as Erica Sun) was struck aft by a U.S. warplane with precision munitions, disabling its propulsion system completely without harming the crew, after it ignored repeated warnings and attempted to breach the blockade. CENTCOM released a video showing the moment of impact. According to Hamshahri, the U.S. reinstated a full blockade of all vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports on July 14 and had since warned mariners to contact U.S. naval forces when transiting the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
By contrast, according to the IRGC-N statement published by Ettelaat, a supertanker with navigation and positioning systems disabled struck a sea mine while attempting to exit a route marked as "prohibited," causing a violent explosion and a massive fire visible from shore. The statement emphasized that "every tanker that defies the rules will meet the same fate." IRNA, citing Britain's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO), reported the incident simply as "an accident that occurred to a vessel while exiting the strait," without attribution.
Three different official sources offered mutually contradictory accounts of the same incident on the same date and location—unconfirmed: CENTCOM claims the action as its own air strike, the IRGC-N presents it as a mine accident, and UKMTO uses neutral language of a simple "accident."
How the Persian press covered it
| Source (orientation) | Headline / framing |
|---|---|
| IRNA (state news agency) | Relied on UKMTO's neutral language, calling it a simple "accident" |
| ISNA (semi-official) | Highlighted CENTCOM's claim of "stopping a blockade-breaking attempt" |
| Hamshahri (Tehran municipality, principlist) | Emphasized CENTCOM's vessel name and video release |
| Ettelaat (moderate-traditionalist) | Quoted the IRGC-N's "mine strike" account verbatim |
Context
The U.S. began enforcing a blockade against Iranian ports in April 2026 and reaffirmed it in July. According to English-language source Janes, CENTCOM in this period diverted dozens of commercial vessels from their routes and disabled at least three vessels—Touska in April, Vela Nova in August—with force after crews reportedly ignored warnings; today's MV Ocean Molica incident fits this pattern. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz persist despite a secure passage agreement signed between Iran and Oman in September. For earlier developments, see reports on the Iran-Oman secure passage agreement and claims of naval withdrawal from Hormuz.
