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A US military helicopter has fired on a Panama-flagged containership in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly breached the US blockade of Iranian ports, while Yemen’s internationally recognised government reportedly claimed a separate deadly attack on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had been carried out by Yemen’s Houthi militia forces.

US strike on container ship off Pakistan

A US military helicopter has reportedly struck a Panama-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman on 11 August after its crew allegedly failed to comply with warnings during US forces’ active blockade of Iranian ports, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an unnamed US government official.

All crew have reportedly been accounted for, with no injuries.

The US Central Command (US Centcom) released a statement confirming it had “disabled the steering gear of Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova as the cargo vessel attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman and violate the US blockade against Iran by sailing toward an Iranian port”.

“A US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the Vela Nova’s engine room after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the US blockade, which remains in full effect. As of Aug. 11,” the force said. Centcom said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled three non-compliant vessels, and boarded two, but didn’t indicate a timeframe for the figures.

UK-based maritime security firm Vanguard Tech provided a similar assessment of the strike on the vessel, naming it as 1,050-TEU Vela Nova. The vessel is listed in the Equasis database as under management and ownership of Liberian entity Golden Valley Marine.

“The Panama-flagged containership Vela Nova was struck by a missile fired from a helicopter while transiting westbound through the Gulf of Oman at 07:15 UTC, approximately 71nm (nautical miles) off the coast of Pakistan. The missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished. The vessel was left not under command following the strike. All 17 crew accounted for, with no injuries,” Vanguard said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the helicopter targeted the vessel’s rudder with a Hellfire missile after its crew purportedly ignored warnings from US military personnel enforcing the blockade.

UK-based maritime intelligence firm Ambrey assessed it “likely that the vessel was interdicted by the United States Navy whilst attempting to transit through the US blockade of Iran”.

The Royal Navy-led United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre issued an advisory, saying it had received a report at 07:15 UTC of an incident involving a container ship and military forces in the Gulf of Oman and that authorities were investigating.

Deadly attack reported in southern Red Sea

Four seafarers have been reported killed and four more injured in a separate incident against a Tanzania-flagged general cargo ship near the northern entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The internationally-recognised Republic of Yemen’s social media and website posted statements on the attack condemning “the terrorist attack perpetrated by the Houthi militias this morning,” on 11 August.

The ministry named the vessel targeted as Tihama, saying the vessel was hit “with three consecutive ballistic missile strikes while it was sailing in the Bab al-Mandab Strait”.

“This latest criminal act adds to the Houthis’ record of violations,” the ministry said, claiming the vessel was carrying food supplies and that the attack resulted in a fire on board.

Yemen’s transport ministry said the attack caused “the deaths of four crew members, three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian sailor, and injuries to four others, in addition to injuries to a member of the rescue team. The attack also caused material damage to the ship.”

“The Ministry emphasizes that targeting maritime routes and commercial vessels not only threatens Yemenis but also undermines international maritime security, global trade interests, and the flow of supplies in the region and the world. The Ministry calls upon the international community and relevant international organizations and bodies concerned with maritime transport and navigation to take a firm and responsible stance against these repeated terrorist attacks and to act urgently to implement the necessary measures to guarantee freedom of navigation and the safety of ship crews and maritime workers in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden, recognizing that collective security is everyone’s responsibility,” the ministry said.

UKMTO said a cargo vessel had been hit by an unknown projectile off Al Mokha, Yemen, resulting in casualties without identifying the vessel or attributing responsibility for the attack.

Ambrey said imagery showed strikes on the bridge and starboard side of the superstructure, with multiple fires on board.

Vanguard identified the ship as Tihamah, saying it was struck approximately five nautical miles off Mokha. Vanguard reported that an unknown projectile hit amidships and caused a fire.

The Houthis had not claimed responsibility on social media communications channels at the time of publication, but instead claimed strikes on Saudi weapons depots and command headquarters in the Al Mokha region, “using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones”.

Equasis lists the vessel as 520-dwt and under ownership and management by companies with Egyptian addresses. There have been conflicting reports over the vessel’s links to Saudi Arabia, with an initial report describing Tihamah as potentially Saudi-affiliated. Ambrey said it was not Saudi-owned or operated at the time of the attack. Houthis have threatened vessels linked to Saudi ownership, management, cargoes or port calls under what what Yemen’s Houthi militia called a ’maritime embargo’ and ’blockade’ against Saudi Arabia.