US Navy Disables and Seizes Iranian-Flagged Cargo Ship

  • Publish date: Monday، 20 April 2026 Reading time: two min read

President Trump confirms US Navy disabled Iranian cargo ship 'Touska' with gunfire after it ignored warnings to stop near a naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

In a significant escalation of naval tensions, the United States Navy has disabled and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the Touska, after it attempted to breach a US naval blockade. The incident occurred in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, according to President Donald Trump.

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President Trump announced the operation on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that American naval forces took decisive action against the vessel after it refused to comply with orders to halt.

"The US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Touska in the Gulf of Oman and gave them fair warning to stop," Trump wrote. "The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room. Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel."

The President noted that the Touska had previously been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department. He characterized the outcome of the confrontation as unfavorable for the Iranian crew, stating simply that it "did not go well for them."

The US military's Central Command (Centcom) subsequently released a detailed account of the interception, confirming that the USS Spruance used its 5-inch MK 45 Gun to fire several rounds directly into the Touska's engine room, effectively disabling the ship's propulsion system.

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Centcom also published video footage of the incident. The recording captures a sailor issuing a final warning to the Touska crew to evacuate the engine room prior to the firing of the weapon. While the video clearly shows the exchange of fire, it remains unclear from the visual evidence exactly which parts of the vessel were struck, though Centcom confirmed the propulsion was successfully neutralized.

Following the disabling of the ship, US Marines boarded the Touska and secured the vessel. The incident marks a rare instance of kinetic force used by the US Navy to enforce a blockade in the region, raising questions about the immediate diplomatic and strategic repercussions in the Gulf.


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