US Forces Disable Cargo Ship Attempting to Break Iran Blockade
“The vessel is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade,” CENTCOM said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A US Navy helicopter fired missiles at the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship after it attempted to break the US blockade of Iranian ports, the United States military said Tuesday.
The MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from US forces, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.
“The vessel is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade,” CENTCOM said.
The incident marks the third time US forces have forcibly halted a vessel since Washington reinstated its blockade of Iranian ports on July 14, amid the months-long conflict between the United States and Iran.
According to CENTCOM, US forces had redirected 55 vessels attempting to circumvent the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday.
The United States previously imposed a blockade on Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18. During that period, American forces disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140 vessels, according to CENTCOM.
Iran has demanded that the United States lift the blockade as part of its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global route for oil and gas shipments.
Traffic through the strategic waterway has fallen sharply amid the conflict and attacks on vessels in the area. The standoff over the blockade and the Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of contention between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier today, CENTCOM forces disabled the steering gear of Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova as the cargo vessel attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman and violate the U.S. blockade against Iran by sailing toward an Iranian port.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 11, 2026
A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two hellfire… pic.twitter.com/hqY1g2Ng8q