CENTCOM Releases Footage of Marines Seizing Iranian Cargo Ship Touska
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released footage of its Sunday operation to intercept an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, which it said was attempting to bypass a naval blockade in the strait.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced the seizure of Touska. He said American forces fired on the ship’s engine room before placing the vessel under custody.
Ship-tracking data showed the vessel departed from Port Klang in Malaysia before attempting to pass through the blockade.
“U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 20, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period,” CETCOM said on Monday, describing the operation.
Touska is linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) Group.
Washington imposed sanctions on IRISL in late 2019, describing it as “the preferred shipping line for Iranian proliferators and procurement agents,” including for transporting items linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Maritime security sources cited by Reuters said the vessel may have been carrying dual-use goods or items with both civilian and military applications, when it attempted to pass through the blockade. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the report.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military on Monday warned it would respond to the seizure, calling the U.S. action “armed piracy.”
“We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,” a spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya central command headquarters said, according to ISNA news agency.
Tehran further claimed it carried out drone strikes against U.S. military vessels in the Sea of Oman hours after American forces intercepted and seized the Iranian-flagged commercial ship.
Since the U.S. imposed a blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports on April 13, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to Iranian ports, according to CENTCOM.
