The U.S. Central Command has confirmed that American forces launched two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday. This action was taken after the ship reportedly ignored multiple warnings and tried to breach the U.S. blockade against Iran.
According to CENTCOM, a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter was responsible for targeting the ship after its civilian crew continued their course towards an Iranian port.
“Earlier today, CENTCOM forces disabled the steering gear of the Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova as it attempted to pass through the Gulf of Oman and violate the U.S. blockade by heading towards an Iranian port,” CENTCOM stated.
The command highlighted that the helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room because the crew did not heed the warnings from U.S. forces.
“The ship is no longer heading to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade, which remains fully enforced,” CENTCOM added.
This confirmation clarifies events surrounding an earlier report from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which initially indicated that a container ship had been hit by a missile while traveling westbound through the Gulf of Oman, roughly 71 nautical miles from Pakistan in international waters.
UKMTO reported that the ship's captain confirmed the vessel was struck in the stern and steering compartment, causing it to lose control. A fire from the explosion was later put out, and all crew members were accounted for with no injuries reported. The vessel has since been identified as Vela Nova.
AIS data examined by gCaptain showed that the Vela Nova was sailing from India to Jebel Ali before the incident.
The Vela Nova incident is important because it involved a container ship instead of a tanker and occurred far from the Strait of Hormuz, indicating that U.S. enforcement of the blockade reaches into the Gulf of Oman. Previously, U.S. forces had only stopped one container ship, the Iranian-flagged Touska, as part of their blockade enforcement efforts.
The Vela Nova, built in 1997, is registered in Panama. Shipping database details show that Golden Valley Marine INV is its registered owner and commercial manager, while Sino Hellenic Ships Management acts as its ISM manager. The Korean Register is listed as its current classification society, and the vessel joined the London P&I Club on July 8.
CENTCOM Reports 55 Ships Redirected
Tuesday’s strike is the latest U.S. military action against commercial shipping believed to be trying to violate Washington’s blockade of Iran.
CENTCOM revealed that, as of August 11, U.S. forces have redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled three non-compliant ships, and boarded two ships while enforcing the blockade.
“U.S. forces in the Middle East are highly vigilant, lethal, and prepared,” the command stated.
CENTCOM's confirmation comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly below normal levels amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran and stalled efforts to restore shipping in this critical waterway.