On Sunday (April 19), the US Central Command released a statement detailing the process of seizing an Iranian cargo ship by the US military. According to the Central Command, during a confrontation lasting six hours, the ship refused to comply with US instructions even after multiple warnings. The American forces opened fire after ordering the crew of the ship to evacuate the engine room, rendering it unable to move forward. Subsequently, the US military detained the ship.
The Central Command issued a statement on its official website, along with a video showing the standoff between the US military and the cargo ship, warnings issued, and the firing incident.
The statement mentioned that on April 19, US forces operating in the Arabian Sea carried out a maritime blockade against a cargo ship attempting to sail to an Iranian port while flying the Iranian flag.
According to the Central Command, the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Touska cargo ship. At the time, the vessel was sailing at 17 knots through the northern Arabian Sea, heading towards Bandar Abbas, Iran.
The statement further explained that the US military issued multiple warnings and informed the crew of the ship flying the Iranian flag of its violation of the US blockade. Over a span of six hours, the crew of the Touska did not comply with the repeated warnings from the US military. Subsequently, USS Spruance ordered the personnel of the ship to evacuate the engine compartment. Following this, USS Spruance used 5-inch MK 45 naval guns to fire several projectiles at the engine room of the Touska, causing its propulsion system to fail. US Marine Corps personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit then boarded the non-compliant ship, which is currently being detained by the US military.
The Central Command stated that in order to ensure compliance with the blockade, the US military took cautious, professional, and proportionate actions. Since the blockade began, the US military has directed 25 commercial ships to turn around or return to Iranian ports.
Prior to the Central Command’s statement, US President Trump also shared this news on his social media platform, Truth Social.