A U.S. Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged containership Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman on August 11, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The U.S. military said the action was taken after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings while sailing toward an Iranian port.

CENTCOM said the MH-60 helicopter targeted the vessel’s engine room, disabling its steering system and stopping the ship from continuing toward Iran. Earlier reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the vessel had been hit in its stern and steering area while sailing in international waters, about 71 nautical miles from Pakistan.

The incident caused a fire on board, but the fire was later extinguished. All crew members were accounted for and no injuries were reported. AIS data reviewed by gCaptain showed the Vela Nova had been sailing from India toward Jebel Ali before the incident.

The strike is part of ongoing U.S. enforcement of its blockade of Iranian ports amid the continuing U.S.-Iran conflict. CENTCOM said that, as of August 11, U.S. forces had redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled three vessels and boarded two during the enforcement campaign.