US Helicopter Missiles Disable Ship Defying Iran Blockade
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- US Central Command said an MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel M/V Vela Nova on Tuesday, targeting its steering gear after the civilian crew "ignored repeated warnings" in the Gulf of Oman.
- The M/V Vela Nova was attempting to sail to an unnamed Iranian port in violation of the blockade; Centcom said the ship "is no longer transiting to Iran" and the blockade "remains in full effect."
- Centcom has redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled 3 non-compliant ships, and boarded 2 since enforcement began as of August 11, underscoring the scale of interdictions beyond Tuesday's strike.
- The US blockade followed failed diplomatic efforts to end the war the US and Israel started on February 28; Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US-allied Gulf states and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
- A fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas previously transited the Strait of Hormuz, and prices have fluctuated wildly since the war began — mediators have failed to broker a reopening deal and a June ceasefire has collapsed, with both sides exchanging fire intermittently.
- Iran has not publicly commented on the strike, and Centcom did not specify whether there were any casualties or injuries aboard the vessel.
Why it matters: With 55 vessels redirected, 3 disabled, and the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of global oil and LNG previously flowed — still closed, the US blockade is now actively disabling ships, deepening the economic pressure on Iran while mediators have failed to broker a reopening and the June ceasefire remains broken.
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