USA11 August, 20262 min read
U.S. Military Disables Panamanian-Flagged M/V Vela Nova in Gulf of Oman Blockade
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Iran says US response to proposals to end war via Pakistan mediator is under review. US President Trump has alternated threats and claims of exit strategy in Iran war.
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Gulf of Oman firing
The U.S. military said it fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports, after the vessel ignored warnings to stop.
U.S. Central Command said an American helicopter fired missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship.
Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two.
The U.S. Central Command statement does not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties, while the U.S. Navy has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault.
Iran response via Pakistan
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei said Tehran has received the American response to its proposals to end the war through the Pakistani mediator, and that “the response is under review.”
Baqai refused to provide details, saying, “Yes, we received America’s response via Pakistan, and I will not go into details because it is under review. America is known for its excessive ambition, and it is not easy for it to abandon its position.”
He said “America did not allow either of the two diplomatic tracks that began last year to reach a result,” and added, “At this stage, we have no choice but to end the war.”
Baqai also rejected American “humanitarian claims” about a “Freedom Project operation” in the Strait of Hormuz, saying “The world does not believe the American humanitarian claims, nor does it think that America can get out of the quagmire it created by repeating past mistakes.”
Strait of Hormuz stakes
Iran said the security of the Hormuz Strait is in the hands of the Iranian armed forces, with the commander of the central Khatam al-Anbiya base, “Lieutenant General pilot Ali Abdollahi,” confirming that “the security of the Hormuz Strait is in the hands of the Iranian armed forces.” The Iranian spokesman warned that all commercial ships and oil tankers must refrain from any crossing without coordination with the armed forces stationed in the Strait of Hormuz, “so as not to endanger their security.”
He also warned any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive American army, that “if it intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, it will be attacked.” In a separate U.S.-focused editorial, Dawn’s August 5, 2026 piece argued that “America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran,” and said the US leader had given Iran a “last chance” to choose between a “deal [or] total surrender.”