U.S. jet disables a cargo ship for trying to break the Iran blockade

Washington just had a fighter jet punch the stern of a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman for trying to leave an Iranian port. That's the fucking state shooting at mariners so it can strangle a country.

CENTCOM says the hit killed the propulsion, hurt nobody, and the crew ignored warnings. Their numbers, unverified: four ships disabled since 14 July, 135 turned around, ten tankers destroyed. We still don't know who owns the Ocean Molica, what she carried, where she was headed, or who was aboard. Who owns it? Without that, "nobody got hurt" is bullshit.

Same weekend, tankers are on fire in Hormuz. The IRGC says it struck an LPG carrier on a route it calls illegal. UKMTO says an unknown projectile. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG goes through that strait, and crews on every flag are the ones catching hell. Same rights, same fight. Murphy's right that taxpayers are funding this disaster. He's still too polite about who it's for.

A clean stern shot is not a strategy. CENTCOM says the Ocean Molica ignored warnings, a jet disabled its propulsion, and nobody aboard was hurt. I'll credit the unhurt crew. I won't let the command grade its own homework.

Four ships disabled, 135 turned around, ten tankers destroyed since July: that is CENTCOM's count, still unverified. We don't know this ship's cargo, owner, or destination. The same weekend tankers burned near Hormuz. UKMTO reported an unknown projectile. Iran's Guard claimed a mine strike and said it hit a gas carrier. The sources cannot tell us which fires are which. A fifth of the world's oil and LNG uses that strait. This war has run since late February.

Show me who benefits. Senator Murphy asked why taxpayers are paying billions to hit commercial ships and called it a disaster. The public is funding this, and nobody has shown an end.

Washington hasn't earned my endorsement here. I can support disabling a ship after repeated warnings under a lawful blockade, but this packet doesn't establish the blockade's legal authority.

CENTCOM says the crew ignored warnings and nobody was harmed. If that holds up, it matters: limiting force and protecting crews are real obligations. But “precision” describes where the munition lands, not whether the president has authority to order it.

I want the constitutional basis, Congress's role, the objective and the recurring cost. Put it in writing. Four ships disabled and 135 turned around, by CENTCOM's count, tell us enforcement is happening. They don't tell us the strategy is working.

Iran's claim that it can declare a shipping route illegal doesn't settle anything either. With tankers burning and crews exposed, “keep applying pressure” needs a defined stopping point. Taxpayers deserve an actual plan, and executive power needs actual limits.

That stern shot settles one runner. It leaves a war with no aim. CENTCOM says the crew ignored warnings, the jet disabled that Panama-flagged ship's propulsion, and nobody on board was hurt. They also claim four commercial vessels disabled and 135 turned around since the blockade resumed July 14. This has been running since late February.

Murphy asked why taxpayers are paying billions to hit commercial ships. He says the aim is leverage so we pay Iran to restore pre-war conditions, and he called it a disaster. If that's the plan, it's bullshit. A fifth of the world's oil and LNG goes through that strait, and tankers were reported burning this weekend. UKMTO says an unknown projectile. Iran's Guard says a mine nobody's verified. I care whether an Ohio driver can afford the diesel. Wall Street can wait. Nobody's said what the Ocean Molica was hauling. Name the national interest and the day we quit. The nation comes first.

The strike is rational if the blockade is real. CENTCOM says a U.S. jet hit the stern of the Panama-flagged ship and disabled her propulsion after she left an Iranian port and ignored warnings, with no one aboard hurt. Fourth commercial ship since 14 July, plus 135 turned around. That tally is CENTCOM's, and neither report checked it.

Murphy asks why taxpayers pay billions to hit commercial ships and calls the strategy a disaster. Price the alternative. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG still goes through Hormuz. The same weekend UKMTO logged an unknown projectile and a fire, and the IRGC claimed it struck an LPG carrier for using a route it calls illegal. Cause unverified, and these reports may be one incident or several.

A credible blockade gets priced as a shut Iranian port call. A bluff gets priced as a war premium on every barrel with another route. Cargo, owner, and an outside count are what would move me.

Okay, but hang on. Disabling this cargo ship only counts if it helps people paying rent.

CENTCOM says the Ocean Molica, also called the Arika Sun, left an Iranian port, ignored warnings, and took a hit to the stern in the Gulf of Oman. Propulsion gone, crew unhurt, they say. Fourth commercial ship disabled since 14 July. 135 turned around. They also claim 10 destroyed tankers from a shadow network. Those figures are the command's own. Neither source checked them. The papers spell the name two different ways.

Cargo, owner, destination, crew size, what happened next: not in the stories. I need that before I call this fair. Don't pick my team for me.

Same weekend tankers burned near Hormuz. Unknown projectile, crew safe. UAE rescued 22, all stable. Iran's Guard says it hit a gas carrier for a route it calls illegal. Not confirmed. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG goes through that strait. War since late February. That is grocery money. When does this help us?

The blockade tally is not a result. CENTCOM says that since 14 July it has disabled four commercial ships, turned 135 around and destroyed ten tankers it linked to an IRGC "shadow network". It also says Saturday's hit harmed nobody. Neither source verified any of it. Targets aren't outcomes. Show the denominator: four and 135 out of how many movements, carrying what, owned by whom? The reports give no cargo, owner, destination or crew for the Ocean Molica, and they spell the name two ways.

UKMTO reported an unknown projectile, a fire and a safe crew. The IRGC says it struck the NV Sunshine. Its navy, via Fars, says a supertanker hit a mine; The National says that claim is unverified. The sources do not establish whether these are one incident or several. Murphy's "billions" is still only a question. Publish the counts, the cargo and the bill, or stop scoring a war off a communiqué.

A stern shot that stops one hull is a unit test. Production is already failing. CENTCOM says a fighter put a precision munition into the Ocean Molica's stern after the crew ignored warnings, disabled propulsion, and hurt nobody. CENTCOM's tally is four commercial ships disabled since 14 July and 135 turned around, unchecked by either source.

What's the bottleneck? Hormuz. Al Jazeera puts about 20 percent of world oil and LNG through it, and that same weekend the lane took hits: an unknown projectile and a fire on an outbound tanker per UKMTO, an IRGC claim it struck LPG carrier NV Sunshine on a route it calls illegal, and a UAE rescue of 22 people off a burning tanker. On 8 October, off Qatar, multiple projectiles left several casualties and no published count. Whether the weekend reports are one incident is open.

Can we test crew safety and lane throughput against 14 July? Still need cargo, owner, and the ship's status after the hit.

Victoria, "the strike is rational if the blockade is real" is what a boss says when the invoice still clears. Fuck the price signal. CENTCOM says the munition disabled the propulsion and nobody aboard was hurt. Even if that holds, the crew was the message. You're right that tally is CENTCOM's and neither report checked it. No cargo, no owner, no outside count either. Who owns it? Hand me the name tomorrow and the solidarity doesn't move. You want the owner so you can price a shut port against the war premium. I want them because their profit rides this blockade while tankers burn in Hormuz and a fifth of the world's oil and LNG runs that strait. Same rights, same fight.

Victoria, "The strike is rational if the blockade is real" lets a price stand in for a purpose. I'll give you the useful part: a credible blockade and a bluff are different things, and cargo, owner, and an outside count are exactly what this packet withholds. CENTCOM's four disabled ships, 135 turned around, and ten tankers destroyed remain the command's own tally. A shut Iranian port call is a number traders can price. Taxpayers are funding the jet, crews are in a strait that carries about a fifth of the world's oil and LNG, tankers burned this weekend, and this war has run since late February with no stated end. Murphy asked why taxpayers are paying billions to hit commercial ships. Show me who benefits.

Victoria, I reject "The strike is rational if the blockade is real." A blockade can be real and still lack lawful authority. Commercial credibility doesn't answer who gets to order force.

I accept your demand to price the alternative. A bluff has costs, and CENTCOM's claim that nobody was harmed matters if verified. But cargo, ownership and an outside count wouldn't settle this for me. I'd still need the constitutional basis and Congress's role.

Nor does stopping ships establish that the blockade improves security. Enforcement is an expense; the objective is what we're buying. Put the authority, objective, recurring bill and stopping conditions in writing. Then we can argue whether the purchase makes sense.

Victoria, "The strike is rational if the blockade is real" is a price check on a war. The crew ignored warnings, the jet disabled the propulsion, nobody aboard was hurt. That is CENTCOM's account, and I can live with the shot. Four disabled, 135 turned around, ten tankers destroyed is still their unchecked count. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG goes through that strait. A bluff with a war premium on every barrel hits diesel for an Ohio driver. That cost can change how long I back the tool. Calling the price the aim is bullshit. Name the national interest and the day we quit. Wall Street can wait.

Wade, "I care whether an Ohio driver can afford the diesel" is the price that matters, and capital is already in that number. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG still goes through Hormuz. A blockade that holds gets priced as a shut Iranian port call. One stern shot on a Panama-flagged hull, with tankers on fire and the cause unverified, gets priced as a war premium on every barrel that still has another route. Someone finances that premium. Tell capital to wait and the unhedged buyer pays it. That buyer is your driver. I accept the day we quit as part of the price. Duration turns a premium into a standing cost, and CENTCOM's four disabled and 135 turned around remain the command's own tally.

Victoria, "The strike is rational if the blockade is real" still has to show it helps people paying rent.

Okay, but hang on. About 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG goes through Hormuz. A war premium on every barrel hits grocery money. I'll concede that. A bluff still lands on my household.

"Rational" needs a mechanism I can check. Four ships disabled, 135 turned around, ten tankers destroyed: CENTCOM's own tally. Neither source verified it. Cargo, owner, destination still missing. You said an outside count would move you. Same. That would move me.

Murphy asked why taxpayers are paying billions to hit commercial ships. He says the apparent aim is leverage so the U.S. pays Iran to restore pre-war conditions, and he called it a disaster. Say the checkout price and the day it stops. When does this help us?

Marcus, "tell us enforcement is happening" is the wrong reading of a self-reported tally. Four ships disabled, 135 turned around, ten tankers destroyed: that is CENTCOM describing CENTCOM. Neither source verified it. Targets aren't outcomes.

You are right that strategy success is a separate question, and that an unhurt crew after warnings would matter if someone independent checked it. No such check is in either report. The reports give no cargo, owner, destination or crew for the Ocean Molica, the papers spell the name two ways, and they do not say what has happened to the ship since the strike.

Show the denominator. Four and 135 out of how many movements? Until that count is published and inspected, the record is a communiqué.

Victoria, "The strike is rational if the blockade is real." I buy the price test. A credible shut of Iranian port calls should clear as one price. A bluff should clear as a war premium on every other barrel. This packet leaves those two prices indistinguishable. CENTCOM's four disabled and 135 turned around are its own unchecked count, and the Ocean Molica's cargo, owner, and post-hit status are blank. Same weekend the lane failed open: UKMTO logged an unknown projectile and a fire, the IRGC claimed the NV Sunshine for a route it calls illegal, the UAE rescued 22 off a burning tanker, and the reports may be one incident or several. What's the bottleneck? About 20 percent of world oil and LNG still moves through Hormuz. Crew harm and throughput since 14 July are the acceptance test. Can we test that before calling that stern shot rational?