- US Navy fired on and seized Iranian cargo ship Touska in Gulf of Oman near Strait of Hormuz
- The ship ignored multiple warnings before US destroyer disabled its engine and Marines boarded it
- Iran condemned the seizure as piracy and refused to join upcoming US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad
Tension between Washington and Tehran escalated over the weekend as the US Navy fired upon and boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, the first seizure in the US blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump said the vessel named Touska was seized by American forces after failing to respond to a warning to stop.
Iran has said the attack on the ship was a violation of the ceasefire and it would retaliate soon for the "act of armed piracy". Iran also refused to participate in the second round of peace talks with the US, slated to be held in Islamabad.
What The US Said
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted a vessel named Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea en route to Bandar Abbas in Iran. In a post on X, it said US forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel that it was violating the US blockade.
"After Touska's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over six hours, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch MK 45 gun into Touska's engine room. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in US custody," it added.
CENTCOM also shared a video of the operation, where the USS Spruance can be seen warning the Touska to stop before opening fire at the Iranian vessel.
In another post, CENTCOM said US Marines sent the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize Touska.
"The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period," it added.
Later, the US President posted on his Truth Social platform that the Iranian-flagged cargo ship, "nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our naval blockade, and it did not go well for them."
Trump said the US forces gave "fair warning" to the ship to stop, which was ignored, "so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room."
"The TOUSKA is under US Treasury sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship and are seeing what's on board," it added.
Blockade at Hormuz
The critical shipping route remained closed on Monday after confusion over the weekend about whether tankers could transit the strait. Tehran had initially said ships could pass through Hormuz before abruptly halting almost all traffic through it less than 24 hours later. About a fifth of the global supply passes through Hormuz during peacetime.
Iran has also refused to participate in the peace talks with the US, as the two-week ceasefire between the two nations is set to end on April 22.
Trump has meanwhile threatened to destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran if Tehran fails to negotiate a deal soon. Iranians have denied conceding to several of the points the US president has said are part of the plan, including the end of their nuclear programme and handing over stockpiles of enriched uranium to the US.
