KOR
▲ Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz
The United States has disabled a Panama-flagged vessel that attempted to violate the maritime blockade against Iran by firing missiles from a helicopter.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on X (formerly Twitter) on the 11th (local time) that "the Panama-flagged cargo ship Bellanova attempted to sail to an Iranian port, violating the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran, prompting U.S. forces to disable its steering gear."
CENTCOM explained that after the crew ignored repeated warnings from the U.S. military, a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire air-to-surface precision-guided missiles into the engine room of the Bellanova.
It added that the vessel is no longer able to navigate and that the U.S. blockade measures against Iran are being maintained at a comprehensive level.
CENTCOM further elaborated that as of today, it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to violate the blockade, while disabling 3 uncooperative ships and conducting boarding inspections on 2 others.
It emphasized that "U.S. forces remain in a high state of readiness, maintaining robust combat power and prepared to execute operations."
Earlier, the U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing U.S. officials, that a U.S. military helicopter had fired upon a ship attempting to breach the maritime blockade against Iran.
Citing a British maritime security firm, the WSJ reported that the Bellanova was struck by missiles fired from a helicopter while sailing westward in the Gulf of Oman, about 71 nautical miles (131 km) off the coast of Pakistan, and confirmed the safety of all 17 crew members.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
