Overview
- U.S. forces fired missiles from a Navy helicopter to disable the Panama‑flagged M/V Vela Nova after the ship allegedly ignored warnings while trying to reach an Iranian port, U.S. Central Command said.
- Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s new Supreme National Security Council secretary, reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. ends the naval blockade, releases frozen Iranian assets, and accepts a wider regional ceasefire.
- Pakistan’s interior minister traveled to Tehran as Islamabad, Oman and Qatar press technical talks on routing and transit corridors even though Iran says such deals do not replace its political conditions for reopening Hormuz.
- Houthi attacks in the Red Sea killed six people on a cargo vessel near Bab el‑Mandeb, the first reported recent fatalities at sea, and oil prices and insurance costs rose after the Gulf of Oman and Red Sea incidents.
- Shipping is sharply reduced and costly diversions are rising with CENTCOM reporting dozens of redirected vessels and intelligence firms showing a steep drop in Hormuz transits, deepening economic pain for regional trade and seafarers.