A US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged cargo ship M/V Vela Nova on August 11, 2026, disabling its engine room and steering gear to prevent it from breaking through the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
The Vela Nova ignored repeated warnings from the US military before attempting to enter Iranian ports, violating the blockade, said US officials [1, 2, 4, 5, 8]. The incident took place about 70 nautical miles from Pakistan's coast in the Gulf of Oman [2].
US Central Command stated, "This vessel is no longer violating the U.S. blockade en route to Iran; the blockade remains fully in effect" [2]. The attack marks the third time since July 14, 2026, when the US renewed the blockade, that it has used force to intercept vessels attempting to violate the restrictions [1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8].
Since the blockade's reimposition, 55 vessels have been forced to change course, 3 vessels disabled, and 2 boarded for inspection under current enforcement efforts, the US military said [1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. During an earlier blockade from April 13 to June 18, 2026, US forces disabled 9 ships and rerouted over 140 vessels [1, 2, 4, 5, 8].
Seventeen crew members aboard the Vela Nova have been accounted for, and no casualties have been reported so far [2]. The US has said the blockade aims to pressure Iran economically by restricting oil shipments through Iranian ports [2, 5, 7]. Iran demands an end to the blockade as a condition for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz [1, 4, 5, 6, 8].
US President Donald Trump has called on Iran to pay reparations for decades of conflicts and the deaths of protesters, adding to tensions between the two nations [6, 8]. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global chokepoint where roughly 20% of the world’s oil and LNG shipments pass [7, 8].
The US military said the strike was necessary to enforce current blockade measures and prevent violations by the Vela Nova [1, 3, 8]. The blockade and enforcement activities continue, with the US maintaining controls over shipping into Iranian ports in the region.
