US fired on Panama-flagged ship that tried to break blockade of Iranian ports, WSJ reports citing US official

Aug 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. military helicopter fired at the rudder of a Panama-flagged ship after its crew ignored warnings from personnel working to enforce a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a U.S. official.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the incident, the report said, adding that the ship appeared to be trying to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard and a maritime security source said earlier that according to initial assessments, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was believed to have been hit by a missile when sailing through the Gulf of Oman.