Wednesday, August 12th 2026 - 00:16 UTC
A Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the vessel's engine room after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings
US forces struck the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, leaving it unable to steer, after it attempted to head for an Iranian port in violation of the naval blockade imposed by Washington, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.
A Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the vessel's engine room after its civilian crew ignored repeated warnings, the command said in a statement. The strike disabled the ship's steering gear. A senior US official quoted earlier by The Wall Street Journal had said the shot was aimed at the rudder, and that the crew was subsequently transferred to another vessel.
The incident took place some 71 nautical miles — around 131 kilometers — off the coast of Pakistan, while the ship was sailing westbound. Maritime security firm Vanguard reported that the impact started a fire, later extinguished, and that all 17 crew members are safe. The British organization UKMTO had initially reported an incident involving a tanker.
