According to U.S. Central Command, since the United States implemented a maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces have ordered 25 commercial vessels to turn back or return to Iranian ports. However, on the 19th, U.S. forces fired upon the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska, which attempted to bypass the blockade. President Donald Trump stated that the Iranian crew refused to comply with instructions, prompting U.S. forces to fire and strike the ship’s engine room, forcing it to halt.

According to The Hill, the Touska was sailing at 17 knots in the northern Arabian Sea toward the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas at the time. Central Command stated that multiple warnings were issued, indicating the vessel was attempting to breach the U.S. blockade, but the crew refused to comply. After a six-hour standoff, the destroyer USS Spruance opened fire. Its 5-inch MK 45 naval gun struck the Touska’s engine room, disabling its propulsion system. The USS Spruance is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer commissioned in 2011, equipped with various weapons including Tomahawk cruise missiles, laser systems, naval guns, and torpedoes.

Trump addressed the incident on Truth Social on the 19th, stating that the Touska is nearly 900 feet long and comparable in weight to an aircraft carrier. He said, “The Iranian crew refused to comply, so our warship destroyed the engine room, preventing it from continuing. U.S. Marines have now taken control of the vessel. The Touska has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury due to its past illegal activities. We have full control of the ship and are inspecting its cargo.”