Americans take ship under fire that had previously left Iran

Americans shoot a ship that had previously left Iran A ship was struck and lost power in the Gulf of Oman after an American attack. According to the Americans, the ship had departed from Iran and was not complying with the American blockade imposed on ships from Iran. "An American fighter jet hit the rear of the ship bearing the Panamanian flag Ocean Molica with a precision weapon. As a result, the ship could no longer sail on its own power. The crew remained unharmed," reported the American Central Command, which is responsible for the US military in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. The American statement is hardly verifiable. The news agency Reuters tried to contact the ship's owner but was unsuccessful. It is unclear what happened to the crew. It is a fact that the ship had turned off its AIS beacon, which is always trackable and should always be on. The last known position is off the coast of Oman on October 5th. Ships frequently turn off this beacon in the dangerous part of the waterway. Since July 14th, the Americans have been trying to stop ships leaving from Iran. Since then, according to Central Command, four cargo ships have been "shut down". Another 135 ships would have been turned around after warnings and returned to Iranian waters. During the same period, the Americans claim to have destroyed ten oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Sovereignty Iran and America are both trying to claim control over the Strait of Hormuz by imposing conditions on ships. As far as Iran is concerned, ships may only pass through the strait via a route established by Iran and with the permission of the strictly Islamic country. This permission follows payment of a percentage of the total value of the cargo the ship is carrying. Shipowners who do not comply risk an attack on their ship. America stops all ships from leaving Iranian waters. Those who do not comply with the blockade risk being attacked, as the Panamanian ship did this weekend. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), since the beginning of the conflict on February 28th, at least 93 ships have been affected by violence. Twenty-four deaths also occurred. Circumvention The claims of both countries over the strait are not watertight, as more media have previously observed. By turning off all communication systems, such as AIS, ships still manage to bypass the blockades. Those who succeed in doing so profit. Captains and their crews receive premiums of thousands of euros per day if they dare to enter the Strait of Hormuz, wrote the Financial Times this week. The Strait of Hormuz is generally considered vital for the world economy. To start the conflict between America and Iran, about 20 percent of all oil and liquefied natural gas was transported through the strait. Due to the Iranian and American blockades, energy prices have risen to record levels worldwide.