US Central Command disables cargo vessel attempting to breach Iran blockade
US military officials confirm an MH-60 helicopter fired Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova after warnings were ignored, citing violation of the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
US Central Command confirmed on Tuesday that an MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel M/V Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman. The strike disabled the ship’s steering gear and engine room, effectively preventing the vessel from completing its transit to an Iranian port.
According to a statement released by the command, the action was taken after the civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces. The M/V Vela Nova is no longer transiting to Iran, Centcom stated, though it did not specify the destination port or confirm whether there were any casualties or injuries on board.
The incident occurs as the US maintains a strict blockade of Iranian ports, a measure implemented following the failure of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict initiated by the US and Israel on 28 February. Tehran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states across the Gulf, while effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas previously transited.
Centcom reported that the blockade remains in full effect. Since enforcement actions began on 11 August, the command has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels, and boarded two. Mediators have yet to secure an agreement to reopen the strait, and since the latest ceasefire collapsed in June, the US and Iran have exchanged fire intermittently.
In a separate development in the Red Sea, Yemen’s internationally recognised government reported that six people were killed and ten injured in strikes by Iran-backed Houthis on a cargo ship. The Houthis claimed the vessel was carrying Saudi military equipment, marking what appears to be the first deadly attack by the group on a ship since the war began.
Meanwhile, diplomatic channels remain strained. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Supreme Leader Khamenei is in perfect health, while reports indicate Iran is engaged in talks with Oman but not the US regarding negotiations. Ongoing US airstrikes continue to target Iranian military assets in the region.
