Troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the U.S. boarded and confiscated the Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska this Sunday in the northern Arabian Sea, in the first physical seizure since the implementation of the U.S. naval blockade against Iranian ports.
The guided missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted the Touska while it was sailing at 17 knots towards the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, coming from Malaysia. U.S. forces issued multiple warnings over a period of six hours that the ship's crew completely ignored.
Before the boarding, the Spruance ordered the evacuation of the engine room via radio communication: "Motor Vessel Tosca, motor vessel Tosca. Evacuate your engine room, evacuate your engine room. We are prepared to subject you to disabling fire."
In response to the crew's refusal, the destroyer fired several rounds from its five-inch MK 45 gun at the propulsion compartment of the Touska, rendering the vessel inoperable.
Later, the marines took off by helicopter from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), crossed the Arabian Sea, and descended by rappel onto the Iranian cargo ship, taking custody of the vessel, which remains under American control, according to Axios.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) specified on social media X that "U.S. forces acted deliberately, professionally, and proportionally to ensure compliance."
The president Donald Trump described the action on his social media: "The USS Spruance gave them a clear warning to stop. The Iranian crew did not comply, which led our naval vessel to decisively stop them, creating a breach in the engine room."
The M/V Touska is a container ship approximately 275 meters long that has been listed on the sanctions list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury since November 2018, linked to the Shipping Line of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRISL), for transporting materials controlled by the Nuclear Suppliers Group and military goods for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah.
Since the beginning of the blockade, U.S. forces had instructed 25 commercial ships to turn around or return to Iranian ports, but the Touska was the first to actively resist the orders.
The naval blockade was ordered by Trump on April 12 through a presidential proclamation, following the collapse of negotiations regarding the Iranian nuclear program. The operation involves more than a dozen warships, over 100 aircraft, and approximately 10,000 sailors, Marines, and aviators.
Iran described the approach as armed piracy and accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire in effect since April 8, brokered by Pakistan, which expires on April 22, amid a second round of negotiations scheduled for today in Islamabad.
According to Gulf News, the Iranian military command Khatam Al-Anbiya warned that "the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond soon and retaliate against this armed piracy and the U.S. military".
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