US helicopter fires on Panama-flagged cargo vessel Vela Nova

CENTCOM reported that a U.S. helicopter fired a single missile at the engine room of the Panama‑flagged container ship *Vela Nova* on Thursday, an action that the U.S. military said was a defensive measure against a suspected Iranian attack. The strike occurred in the Gulf of Oman, where the *Vela Nova* had been operating under a U.S. charter. According to the U.S. Central Command, the missile was launched to prevent the ship from being boarded or damaged by hostile forces, and no crew members were injured.

The incident comes amid a broader standoff between the United States and Iran over Iranian-backed militias in the region. Washington has repeatedly warned that any attempt by Iranian forces to target U.S. commercial shipping would trigger a military response. Iran, for its part, has denied involvement and called the U.S. action a provocation. The U.S. and Iran have been unable to reach a diplomatic settlement on the broader dispute, leaving the Gulf of Oman a flashpoint for potential escalation.