US attacks vessel trying to break Iran’s blockade in Gulf of Oman
Illustrative photo: oil tanker near Iran (Getty Images)
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that it struck the Panamanian-flagged vessel Vela Nova, which had attempted to breach the US blockade of Iran in the Gulf of Oman, according to a CENTCOM statement on the social media platform X.
According to CENTCOM, the cargo ship Vela Nova attempted to pass through the Gulf of Oman toward an Iranian port, violating the current US blockade against Iran.
A US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the vessel's engine room after the civilian crew failed to respond to multiple warnings from US forces. According to the command, the ship is no longer moving toward Iran.
As of August 11, according to CENTCOM, US forces have redirected a total of 55 vessels that attempted to bypass the blockade, disabled three ships that refused to comply, and boarded two others for inspection.
Earlier this month, Iran set out new conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz — Tehran stated that even the agreement with Oman on controlling the strait would not be sufficient without the fulfillment of a number of US demands.
Meanwhile, the US Senate did not back Trump's request to allocate approximately $70 billion in military spending for combat operations against Iran, though it did approve temporary government funding.
Additionally, according to media reports, Trump clashed with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over the US missile shortage amid the war with Iran — the president demanded explanations as to why he had not been informed of the issue beforehand.
