US military fires on Panama-flagged cargo vessel Vela Nova to enforce Iran blockade
On August 11, 2026, the US military fired missiles at the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman, claiming the ship was attempting to break the US blockade of Iranian ports. The attack followed repeated warnings ignored by the ship's crew, marking the third such incident since the blockade was reinstated on July 14. The incident occurred amid stalled US-Iran diplomacy and heightened tensions in the region.
Where Sources Diverge
Al-Jazeera and BBC World report the attack occurred on August 11, while France24 reports it happened on August 12.
2026-08-11T19:58:12.000Z
2026-08-11T20:04:11.000Z
2026-08-12T03:11:40.000Z
TASS and SCMP report the helicopter fired at the rudder, while others mention the engine room.
fired at the ship’s rudder
fired missiles into the engine room
fired at engine room
hit the engine room
Timelines
Sources
The US military announced on Tuesday that it had shot a Panama-flagged ship that was trying to approach an Iranian port in violation of Washington's blockade. President Donald Trump asserted again that the United States was exercising "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
This was the third time the United States, in a months-long war against Iran, has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14
A US helicopter on Tuesday fired missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran’s ports, the United States military said. The US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova “after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media, adding that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade”. It was initially...
US Central Command says its helicopter hit the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM says helicopter fired at engine room of Panama-flagged Vela Nova as US-Iran diplomacy remains stalled.
According to the report, a US military helicopter enforcing the blockade fired at the ship’s rudder after the crew ignored its warnings