US fired on Panama-flagged ship that tried to break blockade of Iranian ports: WSJ
Maritime security officials said the strike caused a fire and forced the crew to abandon ship as the U.S. blockade has rerouted 51 vessels, Central Command said.
- On Tuesday, American forces fired a missile from a helicopter at the Panama-flagged Vela Nova, striking the container ship's rudder while it transited the Gulf of Oman roughly 71 nautical miles off Pakistan's coast.
- The incident occurred amid an active United States naval blockade of Iranian ports, in place since February 28, which has redirected at least 51 commercial vessels attempting to reach Tehran.
- British maritime risk management group Vanguard identified the 30-year-old vessel and confirmed the crew abandoned the ship after a fire sparked by the strike, which was subsequently extinguished.
- Automated tracking data from Pole Star Global showed the Vela Nova listed as "not under command" at the strike location, while no casualties were reported and the crew was transferred to another vessel.
- Following a late June incident where an Iranian drone struck the Panama-flagged oil tanker Kiku carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, United States Central Command launched retaliatory strikes against Iranian military infrastructure.
159 Articles
159 Articles
US fires 'Hellfire' at Panama-flagged ship; IRGC readies revenge?
U.S. forces fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged M.V. Vela Nova after CENTCOM accused the cargo ship of violating the U.S. blockade of Iran. The strike disabled the vessel's steering gear as it headed toward an Iranian port, escalating tensions over maritime enforcement and freedom of navigation.
US cripples cargo ship attempting to run blockade on Iran
US Navy helicopter fires Hellfire missiles at cargo ship accused of trying to break Iran blockade. By World Israel News Staff US forces fired Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings and attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of Washington’s naval blockade, US Central Command said. The M/V Vela Nova was traveling west through international waters when …
The U.S. Army reported on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 that it had fired at a ship that was trying to approach an Iranian port despite the blockade imposed by the United States. The U.S. Central Command added that the ship's crew, flying the flag of Panama, "ignored" the American warnings. Donald Trump assured that the United States had "total control" over the Strait of Ormuz. Follow our direct.
The United States struck Hellfire missiles at a cargo ship bound for IranThe American military disabled the Panamanian ship Vela Nova, which violated the Iranian blockade. The attack was carried out by rockets Hellfire from the MH-60 helicopter.
An American helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at Vela Nova after its crew ignored US warnings.
The U.S. military said Tuesday that it opened fire on a Panamanian-flagged vessel trying to approach an Iranian port blocked by U.S. forces.
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