US forces fired at ship breaking blockade of Iranian ports, CENTCOM confirms

Key Points:

• US Central Command confirmed that American forces fired a missile at the rudder of the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman, targeting it for allegedly attempting to bypass the US embargo on Iranian ports.
• The ship's crew was safely transferred to another vessel with no reported casualties, although the missile strike caused a fire that was extinguished.
• Amid ongoing US-Iran tensions, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif indicated that peace talks were progressing, with both sides reportedly nearing a deal to end the blockade and establish a ceasefire.
• Separately, the Iran-backed Houthis attacked a Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing three crew members—the first such fatalities linked to Houthi strikes since the recent Middle East conflict escalation.
• US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering declaring victory over Iran without a formal nuclear deal if Iran's nuclear program remains contained and maritime traffic resumes in the Strait of Hormuz.