A U.S. military helicopter fired at the rudder of a Panama-flagged vessel after its crew ignored warnings from forces enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the
Wall Street Journal reported today (Tuesday), citing an American official. According to the report, no casualties were reported in the incident.Following the strike, the ship was observed attempting to transfer its crew members to another civilian vessel.
Archive | Photo: CENTCOM
Earlier, British maritime risk management firm Vanguard, alongside maritime security sources, indicated that initial assessments suggested the container ship
Vela Nova, sailing under the Panamanian flag, was likely struck by a missile while navigating the Gulf of Oman.
Vanguard confirmed that the missile hit caused a shipboard fire, which was subsequently extinguished, and that all 17 crew members have been accounted for