Trump: US Navy Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship Touska in Gulf of Oman

US President Donald Trump announced on April 19 that the American military had seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to break through the US naval blockade. The announcement was made via Trump's Truth Social account and confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Six Hours of Warnings Ignored

The USS Spruance, a US Navy destroyer, tracked the nearly 900-foot-long vessel and issued repeated warnings over a six-hour period, ordering the Touska to stop. According to CENTCOM, the Iranian crew refused to comply with every warning. US forces then fired the Spruance's MK 45 five-inch deck gun at the vessel's engine room to disable its propulsion system.

Following the disabling of the ship, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the Touska. CENTCOM stated the vessel is now fully under American control.

Trump: Ship Was Under Sanctions

Trump described the Touska as "almost 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier" and said the vessel carries a history of illegal activity, making it subject to US Treasury Department sanctions even before the current blockade. "The Touska is in our care and we are looking at what's on board!" Trump wrote.

Diplomatic Background

The seizure came as Trump's envoys were departing for Pakistan to participate in a new round of negotiations with Iran set for April 20. The Iran-US conflict had intensified days earlier when Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, citing the continued American blockade of Iranian ports. Trump had previously warned that if no peace deal was reached by Wednesday, the US could resume strikes targeting Iranian power plants and bridges.

It remained unclear whether Tehran would send delegates to the Pakistan talks, given the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.