A U.S. Navy helicopter opened fire on a cargo ship attempting to breach Washington's naval blockade of Iran before dawn on Tuesday, disabling the vessel roughly 70 nautical miles off the coast of Pakistan, U.S. Central Command said.

The Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova was sailing toward an Iranian port when its crew repeatedly ignored warnings from U.S. forces to change course, according to CENTCOM's account of the incident. An MH-60 helicopter crew ultimately fired two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles into the ship's engine room, knocking out its propulsion and steering. A fire broke out aboard the vessel; U.S. officials reported no immediate casualties.

A Blockade in Its Fourth Month

The strike marks the 12th vessel U.S. forces have hit since the blockade was first announced in April, and the third disabled since it was reimposed on July 14 following the collapse of the so-called Islamabad Talks aimed at ending the broader 2026 Iran war. CENTCOM says it has diverted 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade as of Aug. 11, part of an escalating campaign to choke off Iranian oil traffic through the region.

The incident is the latest flashpoint in a monthslong standoff that has kept oil markets on edge; crude prices topped $83 a barrel earlier this week as Tehran signaled it would not back down from contesting the blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. Details on the extent of damage to the Vela Nova, its cargo, or the fate of its crew were not immediately released.

The Pentagon has framed the strikes as measured, non-lethal responses aimed at disabling — not sinking — noncompliant ships, a distinction reflected in the choice of engine-room targeting over broader hull strikes. Still, each new incident raises the stakes for commercial shippers weighing whether to risk the route at all.

NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS OF CASUALTIES, CENTCOM SAYS — BUT THE VELA NOVA IS THE THIRD SHIP DISABLED SINCE THE BLOCKADE WAS REIMPOSED JUST FOUR WEEKS AGO.

Washington has not said whether it expects Tehran to retaliate directly over the strike, though Iranian officials have previously vowed to respond to what they call unlawful interference with international shipping lanes. The blockade's legal authority remains a point of dispute among international maritime law experts.

What's Next

CENTCOM said it will continue enforcement patrols in the Gulf of Oman and along approaches to Iranian ports, and officials have signaled more interdictions are likely as long as the blockade remains in place. Shipping insurers have already begun adjusting premiums for vessels transiting the region, and analysts are watching for any sign the standoff could escalate beyond disabled ships toward a broader confrontation.