US Forces Disable Ship in Gulf of Oman Blockade Enforcement

U.S. military forces disabled a Panama-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday after it allegedly attempted to breach the American naval blockade on Iran by sailing toward an Iranian port. The U.S. Central Command stated that a Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the MV Vela Nova after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings, disabling its steering gear.

The incident occurred as the ship transited westbound through the Gulf of Oman, approximately 71 nautical miles from the coast of Pakistan. A maritime security firm reported that the missile strike caused a fire, which was later extinguished, and confirmed that all 17 crew members were accounted for. Central Command stated the vessel is no longer transiting to Iran and that the maritime blockade remains fully in effect.

This marks the third vessel forcibly halted by the U.S. since Washington reinstated its ports blockade on July 14. According to Central Command, as of Tuesday, U.S. forces have redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three noncompliant ships, and boarded two others. The previous blockade, enforced from April 13 to June 18, saw...