Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran. (Photo: AP)
The United States military has taken control of an Iranian-flagged container ship that tried to cross an American naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, according to US President Donald Trump.
In a post on social media, Trump said the vessel, named Touska, attempted to pass through the blockade but was stopped by US forces. “An Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA tried to get past the US naval blockade, and it did not go well for them,” he said.
(Photo: @realDonaldTrump)
Trump said a US Navy guided missile destroyer issued warnings to the ship in the Gulf of Oman, but it did not stop. He added that the navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” and said US marines have now taken custody of the vessel.
Video released by the US Department of Defense shows the interception. In the footage, US personnel warn the crew they will be fired upon if they do not comply. “Vacate your engine room,” a sailor is heard saying. “We’re prepared to subject you to disabling fire.”
The video also shows the USS Spruance firing at the ship.
U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19.
Trump said the Touska is under US Treasury sanctions due to what he described as a record of illegal activity. The vessel is listed among sanctioned ships by the Treasury Department.
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The ship, reported to be more than 900 feet long, was stopped near waters close to Iran’s border with Pakistan, according to ship-tracking data cited by The Guardian. It had earlier departed from Port Klang in Malaysia.
Iran’s Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters has confirmed a US military operation targeting an Iranian commercial ship in the Sea of Oman and warned of retaliation “soon,” according to a statement carried by semi-official Tasnim news agency.
“The aggressive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran’s commercial ships in the waters of the Sea of Oman by firing upon it and disabling its navigation system by deploying several of its terrorist marines on the deck of the mentioned vessel,” the statement said, confirming the vessel’s seizure.
It added, “We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military.”
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Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran. (Photo: AP) 
