ATTACK OFF PAKISTAN
Separately, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was struck by a missile in an attack off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman, maritime security sources told Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal reported the vessel was attacked by a US helicopter, which fired a Hellfire missile at the ship’s rudder after it tried to evade a US blockade of Iran-linked shipping in the region.
There was no immediate comment from US Central Command.
If confirmed, it would be the 12th vessel attacked by US forces since its blockade was announced in April and the third since the blockade was reimposed on July 14.
The ship recently made port calls in Mumbai and Port Klang, Malaysia, where Iran-linked ships have also been spotted, said Charlie Brown, senior advisor at US advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic using ship and satellite tracking.
“The reported US disabling and stopping of the Panama-flagged Vela Nova near the blockade line in the Gulf of Oman, after its recent Mumbai port call alongside these vessels, underscores the heightened scrutiny now being applied to Iran-related shipping,” he said.
The ship was believed to have been hit some 71 nautical miles off Pakistan’s coast, UK maritime risk management group Vanguard said.
