US Helicopter Fires Missiles at Cargo Ship to Uphold Iran Blockade

The U.S. Central Command confirmed that an MH‑60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama‑flagged cargo ship M/V Vela Nova.

The attack was aimed at disabling the ship’s steering gear as it attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman toward an Iranian port, a move that violated the U.S.‑led blockade imposed in April.

Centcom stated that the crew had ignored repeated warnings from American forces and that the vessel is no longer attempting to reach Iran.

Since the blockade began, the U.S. military has redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled 3 non‑compliant ships, and boarded 2 others.

Iran has not yet commented on the incident, while the U.S. maintains that the blockade remains in full effect.