Washington .- The United States Central Command (Centcom) confirmed this Tuesday that it fired at a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship for attempting to violate the naval blockade in effect on the Iranian coast, after media and maritime security organizations reported the incident.
«Earlier today, Centcom forces disabled the steering system of the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Vela Nova as it attempted to cross the Gulf of Oman and violate the U.S. blockade against Iran by sailing toward an Iranian port,» the military command wrote in a message on X.
Central Command detailed that a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter “fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the Vela Nova after the vessel’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from U.S. forces,” after which it managed to intercept it.
The Wall Street Journal reported hours earlier about the attack citing a U.S. official, who claimed that the helicopter fired at the rudder of the container ship.
Previously, the security firm Vanguard reported that the Vela Nova was struck by a missile while sailing westward through the Gulf of Oman, about 71 nautical miles off the coast of Pakistan.
In its preliminary report, Vanguard specified that “the missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished” and confirmed that all 17 crew members of the ship were safe.
The increase in tension in the war with Iran
The new US attack comes as Washington reinforces its pressure to try to choke the Iranian economy, amid stalled peace talks more than five months after the start of the war launched by the US and Israel against the Islamic Republic.
The conflict has turned the Strait of Hormuz into the center of discord. Transit through the strategic oil and goods route remains closed by Tehran, which is demanding conditions from Washington for its reopening.
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Free passage through Hormuz has remained interrupted since mid-July, following the breakdown of the truce agreed upon by both countries to reach a definitive peace agreement and the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian coasts and ports.
As of August 11, Centcom has redirected 55 commercial vessels that were attempting to bypass the blockade, disabled three vessels that did not comply with orders, and boarded two others, according to figures released today.
