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Iran War Day 165: U.S. Fires on Panama-Flagged Ship It Says Tried to Run Hormuz Blockade

State of the Union: An attack by Yemen’s Houthis on a cargo ship reportedly killed at least three people.
mokha-ship-houthi-august-2026-afp
(Khaled Ziad/AFP)
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The U.S. military fired on a Panama-flagged ship it claimed was trying to run the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Vela Nova and reported that it was hit by a missile fired from a U.S. helicopter while transiting off the coast of Oman.

President Donald Trump on Monday posted on Truth Social a list of his demands to end the war, including compensation from Iran for the deaths of U.S. soldiers allegedly killed by the IRGC during the Iraq War. Trump added in a follow up post that “Iran should be responsible for the damages and death caused to the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza.”

His post came in response to Iran publishing a list of six demands it says are necessary for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. These include the U.S. ceasing all threats against Iran; a permanent end to the fighting in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq; the withdrawal of U.S. naval and air forces from the region; the cessation of the U.S. blockade of Hormuz; the lifting of international sanctions on the Iranian government; and the payment of reparations to Iran.

An attack by Yemen’s Houthis on a cargo ship crossing the Bab al-Mandab was reported to have killed at least three people. The container ship appears to be the first non-Saudi vessel targeted by the Houthis since the group began its self-declared maritime embargo of the waterway last month.

The price of Brent Crude oil rose above $90 per barrel on Tuesday morning, surging more than 10 percent over the past week. AAA recorded the national average price of regular gas at $4.01 per gallon.

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