DUBAI — A U.S. military helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored repeated warnings over an alleged attempt to breach a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said.
The strike on the Vela Nova disabled its steering gear while the vessel was sailing toward an Iranian port, CENTCOM said. The incident occurred on Tuesday, about 71 nautical miles (131 km) off Pakistan's coast, according to British maritime risk management group Vanguard.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. The ship appeared to be preparing to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack, Reuters reported, citing a Wall Street Journal report and maritime security sources.
CENTCOM said the vessel had ignored repeated warnings to stop violating the blockade. The U.S. military has not publicly provided further details about the ship's cargo or ownership, and independent information establishing its intended Iranian destination was limited.
The action marked the 12th vessel attacked by U.S. forces since the blockade was announced in April and the third since it was reimposed on July 14, according to Reuters' reporting. The blockade restricts shipping entering or leaving Iranian ports, adding another layer of risk to commercial traffic in waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The Vela Nova had recently called at Mumbai and Port Klang in Malaysia, where Iran-linked vessels have also been observed, said Charlie Brown, a senior adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S. advocacy group that monitors Iran-related maritime traffic. Brown said the incident reflected increased scrutiny of shipping considered potentially connected to Iran.
The U.S. action came amid continuing disruption to shipping across the region as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a broader conflict. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global energy supplies, has fallen sharply from prewar levels, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.
The incident also occurred as diplomatic efforts to revive an interim U.S.-Iran agreement remained stalled. An Iranian source told Reuters on Aug. 12 that there had been no progress in efforts to restore the deal, with the two sides still divided over sanctions, shipping restrictions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Vela Nova remained disabled following the U.S. strike, while authorities had not reported casualties among its crew.
