US helicopter fires missiles at Panama-flagged ship attempting to evade blockade
The US military on Tuesday (August 11) said it used missiles to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel
The US military on Tuesday (August 11) said it used missiles to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to violate a US blockade on Iranian ports. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said a US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the vessel's steering gear and preventing it from continuing towards Iran. US forces disable Vela Nova According to CENTCOM, the civilian crew of the Vela Nova ignored repeated warnings from US forces. The military said the vessel was subsequently fired upon and disabled, adding that it was “no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade.” CENTCOM's statement did not provide details on possible casualties among the ship's crew.
55 vessels redirected since blockade CENTCOM said that, as of August 11, US forces had redirected 55 commercial vessels that attempted to run the blockade. The US military has also disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two others, highlighting the growing confrontation with commercial shipping attempting to reach Iranian ports. The Vela Nova was the third vessel forcibly halted by the US since Washington reinstated its ports blockade on July 14, according to the military. Previous blockade saw more than 140 ships redirected The US had previously enforced a blockade of Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18.
During that period, CENTCOM said US forces disabled nine vessels and redirected more than 140 ships that attempted to bypass the restrictions. The latest enforcement effort comes amid an extended US-Iran conflict and heightened tensions around maritime trade routes in the region. Iran links Hormuz reopening to blockade Iran has demanded that the United States end the ports blockade as one of its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The strategically important waterway was a major route for global oil and gas shipments before the war. However, shipping traffic through the strait has fallen sharply amid Iranian attacks on vessels in the area.
The latest US action against the Vela Nova therefore adds another flashpoint to an already tense maritime confrontation between Washington and Tehran. US naval presence remains high The US Navy has more than 15 warships deployed in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship.
The BriefWire