US Forces Destroy Iranian Dhow in Gulf of Oman | WATCH

US forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow that was conducting surveillance and targeting against US Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman, US Central Command announced on Wednesday.

According to CENTCOM, the operation took place on October 6. The crew was safely removed from the traditional wooden vessel before it was destroyed, and efforts to repatriate them are ongoing.

"Over the past seven months, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to indiscriminately target thousands of civilian mariners and US Navy warships," CENTCOM said in its statement.

Iran has relied on spotters in small boats to identify commercial ships for attack as it tries to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters has reported.

Attacks on shipping have sharply escalated in recent days. At least 10 vessels have been attacked in or near the Strait since Sunday, the highest number since the war began on February 28, according to security data cited by Iraq's Shafaq News. On Wednesday, the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride and the bulk carrier Cape Dao, flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, were confirmed sunk near the Strait after separate projectile attacks.

The International Maritime Organization says about 24 sailors have been killed in incidents near the Strait since the war began.

US forces are also enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Since enforcement resumed on July 14, US forces have turned back 135 ships and destroyed 10 tankers linked to the IRGC, according to CENTCOM. On October 10, a US fighter jet disabled a Panama-flagged cargo ship that tried to break the blockade after its crew ignored warnings.