Trump claims ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz after US fires on cargo ship

A U.S. Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles at a Panama-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday after its crew ignored repeated warnings to stop, U.S. Central Command said, marking the third ship disabled since Washington reimposed its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The Strike

The MH-60 helicopter struck the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling its steering gear and halting its transit toward an Iranian port, according to CENTCOM's statement posted on X. No casualties or injuries were reported among the vessel's 17 crew members, and a U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that the crew was transferred to another vessel. Maritime security firm Vanguard said the missiles caused a fire that was subsequently extinguished.jpost+1

The incident brought CENTCOM's enforcement totals to 55 commercial vessels redirected, three disabled, and two boarded since the current blockade phase began. The two previously disabled ships were the Curaçao-flagged M/T Belma and the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine, both struck in late July after also ignoring warnings, according to Stars and Stripes.x+1

Diplomatic Deadlock

The strike underscored that enforcement operations continue even as diplomatic efforts to end the broader U.S.-Iran conflict remain stalled. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on August 9 that there was "no possibility of restarting negotiations" as long as Washington continued to violate the June memorandum of understanding. Iran's parliament speaker has accused Trump of pursuing "theater diplomacy," while Tehran and Washington have given conflicting accounts of whether direct talks are even taking place.economictimes

President Trump on Wednesday declared that the United States has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, writing on Truth Social that the blockade is "a Wall of Steel" that Iran is powerless to counter. He claimed Iran "has no Navy" and "no Air Force" and described its economy as collapsing — though official Iranian figures put inflation at 88.6 percent and the IMF estimates a 5.4 percent economic contraction since the war began, both well below Trump's claimed 300 percent inflation figure.ntd+1

Oil Markets React

Oil prices initially rose following the strike but pulled back on Wednesday after OPEC and the International Energy Agency cut their 2026 global demand forecasts. Brent futures traded lower in volatile session as investors weighed the supply disruption against weakening demand projections. The IEA now expects a 1.6 million barrel-per-day contraction in demand this year but also forecasts a supply deficit of around 1.27 million bpd.ntd

The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships stationed in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship.ntd