The US military fired missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship Vela Nova. A military helicopter carried out the attack after the ship's crew ignored warnings from personnel enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The ship was attempting to reach Iran, marking the third vessel stopped during the ongoing US blockade. The incident occurs while diplomacy between the US and Iran remains stalled.
It has not been announced whether there were any injuries in the attack.