Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A U.S. helicopter fired missiles on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran’s ports, the United States military said.
The U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova “after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, adding that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade.”
It was the third time the United States, in a months-long war against Iran, has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14.
CENTCOM said it has redirected 55 ships that tried to run the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday (August 11).
U.S. forces previously blockaded Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18, during which they disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140, according to CENTCOM.
Iran has demanded that the United States end the ports blockade as part of its conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments before the war that has seen traffic plummet due to Tehran’s attacks on ships in the area.
U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his frequent claim on Tuesday (August 11) that the United States has taken over the waterway.
“We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
Published – August 12, 2026 10:54 pm IST
