US military says it has fired on ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce blockade of Iranian ports

On Tuesday, a United States Navy MH-60 helicopter fired missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship M/V Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military reported that the action was taken to disable the vessel after it attempted to breach an American-enforced blockade of Iranian ports.

The incident highlights ongoing maritime tensions in the region as the U.S. military actively enforces restrictions on Iranian port access. The operation resulted in the successful disabling of the cargo ship by U.S. forces.