US Helicopter Fires Hellfire Missiles on Cargo Ship Challenging Iran Blockade
US Central Command (Centcom) reported that an MH‑60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama‑flagged M/V Vela Nova, a cargo vessel that attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman to an Iranian port.
The missile strike disabled the ship’s steering gear, preventing it from completing its voyage and effectively removing it from the blockade corridor.
Centcom stated that the vessel had ignored repeated warnings from American forces, leading to the use of the missile to enforce the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, a measure initiated in April after failed diplomatic efforts.
According to Centcom’s update on X, the blockade remains fully in effect, with 55 commercial vessels redirected, 3 non‑compliant ships disabled, and 2 boarded since the start of the operation.
Iran has not yet issued a comment on the incident, which raises questions about the broader implications for maritime trade and security in the region.
