The Iran war seems to have reached a dead end. Talks between the United States and the Islamic regime have yielded no results beyond avoiding the hottest phase of the conflict, with daily attacks from both sides, and reaching the current situation of tense calm, in which the two enemies exchange threats but no direct fire. Under these circumstances, all efforts focus on economic pressure in the hope that it will lead one of the sides to back down.
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That is why both Tehran and Washington are threatening each other with the obligation to pay reparations for the damages caused. And that is why the United States military attacked on Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal, a Panama-flagged ship trying to bypass the blockade of Iranian ports decreed by President Donald Trump. The goal now is the economic strangulation of the regime.
A military helicopter fired early Tuesday at the rudder of the ship Vela Nova after its crew ignored warnings from U.S. personnel enforcing the naval blockade of Iranian ports, a senior official told The Wall Street Journal. The same source said that after the operation, the ship appeared to be trying to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel. The U.S. Central Command has not confirmed the attack.
The ship recently called at the ports of Mumbai (India) and Port Klang (Malaysia), places where ships linked to Iran have also docked, according to Charlie Brown, advisor to the U.S. organization United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), who analyzes tanker traffic related to Iran using ship tracking systems and satellites, told Reuters.
“The immobilization and detention by the United States of the Vela Nova near the blockade line in the Gulf of Oman, after its recent call in Mumbai alongside those vessels, highlights the increased scrutiny currently being applied to maritime transport linked to Iran,” he said.
Hours earlier, on Tuesday, maritime security company Vanguard had reported that a Panama-flagged container ship called Vela Nova had been hit by a missile fired from a helicopter while sailing westward through the Gulf of Oman, about 71 nautical miles (about 131 kilometers) off the coast of Pakistan. “The missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was later extinguished,” Vanguard said. The company added that all 17 crew members were confirmed safe.
In June, three Indian sailors died during a U.S. operation aimed at enforcing the blockade against Iran, an Indian official reported at the time. These were the first deaths recorded as a result of U.S. efforts to deprive its adversary of oil revenues and force it to negotiate an agreement to end the war.
The Houthis, Iran’s allies who control part of Yemen, declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, the U.S.-allied Sunni monarchy, last July. A few days later, this rebel movement fulfilled its threat by bombing two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, expanding the conflict between Iran and the United States and adding even more uncertainty about commercial navigation in the region.
Last Monday, both the Iranian regime and Trump threatened each other with the idea of imposing economic sanctions for the damages caused. “Representatives of the Islamic Republic are requesting compensation, despite the fact that the matter was never mentioned in any negotiation!” wrote the U.S. president in a message on Truth. “It’s an interesting idea, because now I also demand compensation from Iran for all the people it has killed and injured in the numerous conflicts for which they are sadly famous,” he added.
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