Vessel Vela Nova Disabled by US Forces

U.S. forces disabled the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman on 11 August after it allegedly attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. blockade. CENTCOM said a US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the vessel’s engine room after repeated warnings were ignored, disabling its steering gear. The vessel caught fire after being hit by the missiles and but later it was contained. All the crew evacuated the vessel.