US Navy fires Hellfire missiles at cargo ship breaking Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman
US Central Command says a Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged Vela Nova, disabling its steering gear for attempting to break the American blockade on Iranian ports. Reuters reports it is the third vessel disabled since the blockade resumed.
A US Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged cargo ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its engine room and steering gear, US Central Command said. CENTCOM said the ship ignored repeated warnings while attempting to break the American naval blockade on Iranian ports, reimposed after a ceasefire collapsed and fighting between the US, Israel and Iran resumed. It is the third vessel disabled under the blockade; CENTCOM says it has also redirected 55 commercial vessels and boarded two others. Source: Reuters, CENTCOM.