US Forces Fire on Panama Flagged Vessel Attempting to Break Iranian Port Blockade

US forces fired on a Panama flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday morning after the vessel reportedly attempted to break through a US naval blockade of Iranian ports. According to a US official cited by the Wall Street Journal, US Central Command troops used a helicopter to fire a missile at the rudder of the container ship, identified as the Vela Nova. Maritime security firm Vanguard stated the missile strike caused a fire that was later extinguished. All crew members were accounted for and transferred to another vessel, with no casualties reported.

The incident occurred as the US and Iran remain at a standstill regarding peace talks to end the blockade and establish a broader ceasefire. While Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Bloomberg News that the two nations are nearing a deal, other officials told the Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump may consider declaring victory without a nuclear deal if Iran's nuclear program remains in check and traffic resumes in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate event on Tuesday, Iran backed Houthis reportedly attacked a Tanzanian flagged cargo ship, the Tihamah, in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Yemeni sources reported that two Pakistanis and one Indonesian were killed in the attack, which would mark the first fatalities in a Houthi ship strike since US and Israeli attacks on Iran began in late February. Oil prices moved higher following the news of the US strike on the Vela Nova.