US helicopter fires missiles to disable ship attempting to breach Iran blockade

US Central Command (Centcom) has said one of its MH-60 helicopters fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the cargo vessel M/V Vela Nova on Tuesday, disabling the Panama-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel had been attempting to reach an Iranian port, which Centcom did not name.

According to the military, the strike came after the ship's civilian crew repeatedly ignored warnings from American forces. Centcom confirmed the vessel is no longer heading toward Iran. Iran has not yet commented on the incident.

Blockade and its consequences

The US has been enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports following unsuccessful efforts to end the war Iran and Israel began on 28 February. In response, Tehran launched attacks on Israel and US-allied states across the Gulf region and effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war. Prices have fluctuated significantly since the closure.

Mediation efforts to reopen the strait have so far failed. Since a ceasefire collapsed in June, the US and Iran have continued to exchange fire intermittently.

In a post on X, Centcom said the blockade "remains in full effect." As of 11 August, the command reported it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels, and boarded two others.

Attack in the Red Sea

On the same day, Yemen's internationally recognised government reported that six people were killed and ten injured when Iran-backed Houthi fighters struck a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The Houthis said they targeted a vessel carrying Saudi military equipment. The strike appears to be the group's first deadly attack on a ship since the war began.