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.

US Central Command confirmed the incident, which 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 the same period, underscoring how enforcement has shifted from diversion to disabling fire when ships persist after warnings.

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 in a targeted move intended to immobilize the vessel rather than destroy it. No casualties were reported aboard the Lavine, which contrasted with earlier enforcement actions during the broader US-Iran conflict that did result in fatalities.

On July 15, just one day after the blockade was reimposed, the tanker Belma was disabled for similar violations. The repeated incidents show that vessels approaching the restricted area now face a clear enforcement pattern: heed warnings, turn back, or risk being disabled.

Background on the blockade

The naval blockade was originally imposed on April 13, 2026, as the US-Iran conflict escalated sharply in the early months of the year. The blockade targets the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for traffic moving in and out of the region. Negotiations between the US and Iran to ease tensions collapsed sometime before mid-July, prompting the blockade to be reimposed on July 14. Since then, CENTCOM has redirected 12 vessels in addition to disabling the Belma and the Lavine, indicating that the blockade remains actively enforced rather than symbolic.