A US military helicopter fired at the rudder of a Panama-flagged vessel after its crew allegedly ignored warnings from personnel enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a US official.
There were no immediate reports of casualties following the incident. The report said the vessel appeared to have attempted to transfer its crew to another civilian ship after coming under fire.
Earlier, British maritime risk management company Vanguard and a maritime security source said initial assessments indicated that the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova may have been struck by a missile while sailing through the Gulf of Oman.
The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions in the region and growing concerns over the safety of commercial shipping routes near Iran.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the nature of the weapon used and the reason the vessel was targeted, remain under investigation.
