US Navy Fires Hellfire Missiles at Cargo Ship Attempting to Reach Iran

On Aug. 11, U.S. forces fired two Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, disabling the vessel after it allegedly “ignored repeated warnings from American forces” to stop sailing toward an Iranian port. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later identified the vessel as the M/V Vela Nova and claimed it was attempting to violate Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports.

According to CENTCOM, the ship’s crew failed to heed to multiple warnings and continued on its course. A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter then fired two Hellfire missiles into the vessel’s engine room, disabling its steering gear to prevent it from continuing toward Iran. Maritime security firm Vanguard reported that the Vela Nova was struck about 71 nautical miles (about 131 kilometers) off Pakistan’s coast.

The incident marks the latest U.S. enforcement action against commercial vessels accused of attempting to breach the blockade. Reuters reported that the Vela Nova was the 12th vessel attacked by U.S. forces since the blockade was announced in April and the third since it was reimposed on July 14. CENTCOM said the ship is no longer heading toward Iran and that the blockade remains in effect.

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The confrontation comes amid escalating tensions surrounding commercial shipping in the region as the conflict between the United States and Iran enters its sixth month. Iran has maintained restrictions on shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz, while maritime traffic through other critical Middle Eastern waterways has also fallen sharply.

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The strait is one of the world’s most vital maritime chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil consumption, thus making any prolonged disruption a major threat to energy markets and supply chains.

Deadly attack in Bab el-Mandeb

Hours after the Gulf of Oman incident, another cargo ship came under attack in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Yemeni authorities said four crew members (three Pakistanis and one Indonesian) were killed in an attack on the Tanzania-flagged Tihamah, an Egyptian-owned cargo vessel. The crew subsequently lost control of the ship.

Two Yemeni rescuers from the anti-Houthi National Resistance Forces were also killed when the vessel was struck again after rescue teams arrived, according to Yemen’s Coast Guard. 10 others were injured.

If confirmed as a Houthi attack, the deaths aboard the Tihamah would mark the first fatalities from a Houthi strike on commercial shipping since the current conflict with Iran began on Feb. 28. The Houthis later said they had attacked a vessel carrying Saudi military equipment in the Bab el-Mandeb, but did not identify the ship or give further details on the strike.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately reported that a vessel in the area had been struck by an unknown projectile. British maritime security firm Ambrey said the Tihamah was anchored northeast of Yemen’s Perim Island when it was attacked. Ambrey noted that the vessel was neither Saudi-owned nor Saudi-operated. LSEG shipping data identified Egyptian companies as its owner and manager.

Shipping traffic takes nosedive

To further complicate matters, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on July 20, in response to what the group described as a Saudi “siege” of Yemen. The latest violence has further heightened uncertainty around the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz, two of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.

An average of about 32 vessels per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb last week, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler, down from around 50 before the latest Houthi blockade. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen even more sharply, with just six vessels passing through on Aug. 10 (Monday), compared with roughly 130 to 140 per day before the war begun.