A US Navy destroyer fired several rounds into the engine room of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel —- after its crew ignored repeated warnings to stop while attempting to violate a US naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command and President Donald Trump said Sunday.
The incident involving the M/V Touska, a nearly 900-foot-long cargo ship, marks the first reported use of kinetic force by US forces against an Iranian vessel since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week amid heightened tensions in the region.
According to CENTCOM, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted the Touska as it transited the northern Arabian Sea toward the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas at about 17 knots.
US forces issued multiple warnings over a six-hour period, informing the crew that the vessel was in violation of the blockade. After the crew failed to comply and was directed to evacuate the engine room, the Spruance fired several 5-inch rounds from its MK 45 gun, disabling the ship’s propulsion.
“American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance,” CENTCOM stated. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit subsequently boarded the vessel, which remains in US custody. No injuries were immediately reported.
CENTCOM Press Release
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.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.
After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, 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. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.
American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance. Since the blockade’s commencement, U.S. forces have directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port.
President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, described the event in blunt terms: “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA… tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them. The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.” He added that Marines “have custody of the vessel and are seeing what’s on board!”
The action comes as the US enforces a maritime blockade aimed at isolating Iran economically, part of broader efforts following recent escalations involving Israel and regional proxies. Since the blockade’s start, US forces have directed at least 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to Iranian ports, according to CENTCOM.
Iranian state media and officials have not yet issued a detailed response to Sunday’s incident.
Original article
Comments