The United States has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. forces fired on the ship’s engine room and boarded it, according to U.S. officials and statements from President Donald Trump.
Trump said the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel, identified as the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman. He said U.S. Marines took custody of the ship after its crew refused repeated orders to stop.
U.S. Central Command said the vessel ignored warnings for six hours before American forces disabled it and boarded the ship. Officials described the operation as deliberate and proportional.
The seizure marks a sharp escalation in the growing standoff between Washington and Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. Roughly 20% of global crude oil and natural gas shipments normally pass through the narrow waterway.
CENTCOM said the United States has also turned back more than two dozen commercial vessels as part of an ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
The action comes days after a fragile ceasefire was announced in the wider regional conflict. Trump has accused Iran of violating the truce by firing on ships in the strait, while Iranian officials have countered that the U.S. blockade itself violates the agreement.
Iran later announced it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz to outside traffic, saying passage would remain restricted as long as U.S. pressure continues. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said Iran would not allow others to use the route while its own access remained blocked.
The maritime disruption has stranded more than 20,000 seafarers aboard hundreds of ships in the Gulf since fighting began in late February, according to reports.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials were expected to travel to Islamabad for another round of talks aimed at ending the war. However, Iran’s state media said Tehran declined to participate, citing what it called excessive U.S. demands and continued naval pressure.
Source: NPR