US military fires on Panama-flagged ship breaking blockade of Iran

A US military helicopter fired on a Panama-flagged merchant vessel on July 24 after the ship repeatedly tried to run a naval blockade of Iranian ports. The crew of the M/T Lavine ignored multiple warnings before the helicopter targeted the ship’s rudder, disabling the vessel without reported casualties. The incident, confirmed by US Central Command, marks the second time the military has disabled a merchant ship since reimposing a blockade around July 14. Twelve other vessels have been redirected during that same window. Four attempts, one outcome According to CENTCOM, the vessel attempted to breach the blockade at least four times before military forces escalated to disabling fire. The helicopter struck the ship’s rudder, a targeted approach designed to immobilize rather than destroy. No casualties were reported aboard the Lavine, a notable contrast to earlier enforcement actions during the broader US-Iran conflict that did result in fatalities. On July 15, just a day after the blockade was reimposed, the tanker Belma was disabled for similar violations. The blockade’s backstory The naval blockade was originally imposed on April 13, 2026, as the US-Iran conflict escalated sharply ...