Tehran vows retaliation after US fires on and seizes Iran-flagged tanker

CENTCOM confirmed Sunday that the U.S. Navy fired into the engine room of an Iranian-flagged vessel after it allegedly violated a maritime blockade. The command also highlighted a six-hour standoff with the tanker in the Arabian Sea.

In a post shared on X, the command said the action followed repeated warnings.

“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,” CENTCOM said.

The command described how a guided-missile destroyer, USS Spruance (DDG-111), intercepted the vessel, M/V Touska, as it transited the North Arabian Sea at 17 knots en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran.

“American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” CENTCOM said.

After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, the command explained how 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,” CENTCOM said before adding that 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,” it said.

Since the blockade’s commencement, U.S. forces have directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, CENTCOM added.

Fox News’ Emma Bussey contributed to this report.