US helicopter fires on ship trying to break Iran ports blockade

On Tuesday, a US helicopter deployed missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship attempting to breach the American blockade of Iran's ports, according to the US military. The MH-60 helicopter from the US Navy engaged and neutralized the M/V Vela Nova after the vessel's civilian crew disregarded multiple warnings from American forces. The ship is no longer attempting to transit to Iran in defiance of the US blockade, as reported by US Central Command (Centcom) on X.

This incident marks the third time in a months-long conflict against Iran that the US has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14. Centcom stated that they have redirected 55 ships attempting to circumvent the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday. Prior to the current blockade, US forces had previously placed a blockade on Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18, during which they disabled nine ships and redirected over 140, according to Centcom.

Iran has demanded that the US terminate the ports blockade as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for oil and gas shipments before the war. The ongoing blockade has resulted in a significant decrease in traffic due to Tehran's attacks on ships in the area.