Navy Fires Hellfire Missiles at Cargo Ship to Enforce Iran Blockade

U.S. Central Command said a Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged cargo ship Vela Nova on Aug. 11, disabling its engine room and steering gear after the crew allegedly "ignored repeated warnings" while attempting to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. naval blockade. CENTCOM said it did not know whether any crew members were wounded. The command said it has disabled 55 vessels and boarded two more since reimposing the blockade.

The strike came as U.S.-Iran diplomacy remains stalled following the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding that had briefly lifted both the blockade and Iran's own restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil trade normally passes. Trump said Monday he wants Iran to pay reparations for "50 years" of damage, while Iran has pushed for reconstruction funding as part of any deal.

The blockade remains in effect and diplomatic talks have not resumed; CENTCOM's account of the incident has not been independently corroborated by other parties.