A US Navy helicopter fired on a Panama-flagged vessel in the Persian Gulf after it ignored warnings and attempted to circumvent an American blockade of Iranian ports, marking the third such incident since the blockade was reinstated in July.
A United States Navy helicopter conducted a missile strike against the M/V Vela Nova on Tuesday, disabling the cargo ship's engine room after its crew repeatedly rejected warnings from American forces, according to US Central Command. The vessel, which operates under a Panama flag, had been attempting to transit toward Iran in violation of the blockade that the United States reimposed on July 14.
This marks the third forcible halt of a vessel since the blockade's reinstatement, as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate. CENTCOM reported that it has redirected a total of 55 ships attempting to run the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday. During an earlier blockade period from April 13 to June 18, American forces disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140 vessels.
Iran has made the lifting of the US ports blockade a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical shipping lanes for oil and gas transport. The waterway has experienced significantly reduced traffic since the conflict intensified, with Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the region further disrupting international maritime commerce. The ongoing naval confrontation reflects the broader conflict between Washington and Tehran and its impact on global trade routes.
