US fired on Panama-flagged ship that tried to break blockade of Iranian ports — report

By Reuters 11 August 2026, 3:55 pm

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A US military helicopter has fired at the rudder of a Panama-flagged ship after its crew ignored warnings from personnel working to enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing a US official.

There are no immediate reports of casualties from the incident, the report says, adding that the ship appears to be trying to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard and a maritime security source said earlier that, according to initial assessments, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was believed to have been hit by a missile when sailing through the Gulf of Oman.