The U.S. military said it fired missiles from a helicopter to disable a Panama-flagged cargo ship that was attempting to violate the anti-Iran naval blockade.
U.S. Central Command said on X on the 11th (local time) that "the Panama-flagged cargo ship Belanova, headed to an Iranian port, attempted to violate the U.S. anti-Iran naval blockade, so U.S. forces disabled its steering gear."
According to Central Command, the Belanova's crew did not respond to repeated warnings from the U.S. military. A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter then fired two Hellfire air-to-surface precision-guided missiles at the ship's engine room.
Central Command said that after the missile strike, the Belanova was no longer under way, and explained that the anti-Iran naval blockade remains fully in effect.
The U.S. military said it has so far directed 55 merchant ships that attempted to violate the blockade to divert to other routes. Of these, it disabled three vessels that did not comply and conducted boarding inspections on two.
Central Command said, "U.S. forces remain at a high state of alert and possess robust combat power, fully prepared to conduct operations."
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported, citing U.S. officials, that a U.S. military helicopter fired on a vessel attempting to break through the anti-Iran naval blockade.
The WSJ, citing a U.K. maritime security firm, reported that the Belanova was hit by missiles fired from a helicopter while sailing west in the Gulf of Oman, about 71 nautical miles (131 km) off the coast of Pakistan. All 17 crew members were confirmed safe.