US forces fire on Panama-flagged ship attempting to breach Iran blockade: Report

US forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship early Tuesday that was attempting to breach an American blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an official.

An American chopper fired at the rudder of the ship after the crew ignored warnings from US personnel working to enforce the naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US official reportedly said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the incident, and the US official reportedly said the ship appeared to be trying to move its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack.

Earlier Tuesday, maritime security firm Vanguard said that a Panama-flagged containership, Vela Nova, was struck by a missile fired from a helicopter while transiting westbound through the Gulf of Oman about 71 nautical miles (131 kilometers, 82 miles) from the coast of Pakistan.

“The missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished,” Vanguard said in an initial report on the incident. All 17 crew were accounted for, it added.