US Navy MH-60 Fires Hellfire Missiles to Disable Panama-Flagged M/V Vela Nova in Gulf of Oman

The United States military said a Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman to disable the ship as it attempted to violate the US blockade of Iranian ports.

“MH-60 aircraft on Tuesday fired two hellfire missiles into the engine room”

BBC

US Central Command said the crew “ignored repeated warnings from American forces,” and it added that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran” in violation of the blockade.

Al Jazeera

The BBC reported that the US blockade is part of efforts to enforce economic pressure after failed attempts to end the war it and Israel started on 28 February, while the Reuters account said the Wall Street Journal reported the attack targeted the rudder after warnings were ignored.

Iran has not commented on the incident, and the BBC said CENTCOM did not say whether there were any casualties or injuries.

The Jerusalem Post said US Central Command confirmed that troops fired a missile from a helicopter at the rudder of the Vela Nova, and it reported that “No casualties or injuries have been reported at this time”.

The Reuters account, citing a US official and the Wall Street Journal, said there were “no immediate reports of casualties from the incident,” and it added that the ship appeared to be trying to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel.

BBC

Türkiye Today said a US helicopter fired at the vessel’s rudder after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel enforcing the blockade, and it reported that there were no immediate reports of casualties from the incident.

In parallel, the BBC said CENTCOM stated the blockade “remains in full effect,” and it reported that as of 11 August CENTCOM had redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled 3 non-compliant vessels, and boarded 2.

Iranian officials and allied voices framed the blockade as a driver of wider conflict, with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei quoted by Al Jazeera saying the Strait of Hormuz “will not be opened until the United States changes its behaviour and accepts Iran’s conditions”.

“will not be opened until the United States changes its behaviour and accepts Iran’s conditions”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera also reported that Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with Iranian officials, as the US and Iran remained at a standstill over peace talks to end the American blockade of Iranian ports.

IranWire reported that Majid-Reza Hariri, President of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, called for ending the US naval blockade “by any means possible,” including through military force or a new armed conflict.

In the same reporting, IranWire said Hariri estimated the blockade would inflict $18 billion in additional annual costs on Iran’s economy, while the BBC described how Tehran retaliated by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states across the Gulf and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.