A US military helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday to disable its steering gear as it allegedly tried to bypass a US blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command (Centcom) announced.
The strike targeted the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova after its civilian crew ignored multiple warnings from American forces, according to Centcom. The military command confirmed the vessel is no longer heading toward Iran. Centcom did not disclose whether there were any casualties or injuries during the operation.
The US blockade of Iranian ports was established following unsuccessful efforts to resolve the conflict initiated by the US and Israel on February 28. In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and US-allied Gulf nations, and effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Since the closure, global energy prices have experienced severe fluctuations.
In its statement published on X, Centcom noted that the M/V Vela attempted to reach an unnamed Iranian port. The blockade "remains in full effect," the military said, reporting that as of August 11, US forces have redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled three non-compliant ships, and boarded two others. Iran has not issued a comment on the incident.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, Yemen's internationally recognized government reported that strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed six people and injured ten others on a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The Houthis claimed they targeted a vessel transporting Saudi military equipment, marking what appears to be the group's first fatal attack on a ship since the conflict began.
In a statement, US Central Command (Centcom) says its MH-60 aircraft on Tuesday fired two hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova vessel, as it attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman.
It says the US blockade "remains in full effect", adding that as of 11 August Centcom has "redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled 3 non-compliant vessels, and boarded 2".
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.