By: Isaac Kwabena Boadu Date: 20th April, 2026
The United States Navy seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday after firing on its engine room when it tried to breach a U.S. naval blockade, President Donald Trump announced. The USS Spruance destroyer intercepted the nearly 900-foot vessel, described as “weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier,” following a 6-hour standoff in the north Arabian Sea. After the crew ignored repeated orders to stop, the Spruance fired its 5-inch MK 45 gun into the engine room to disable the ship, and U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded and took custody. “We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board,” Trump said.
The White House said the Touska is under U.S. Treasury sanctions for “prior history of illegal activity” and was attempting to run the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Iran war. This is the first known incident where U.S. forces used fire to stop a vessel — more than 20 previous Iranian ships were turned back without shots. The seizure came hours after Tehran rejected a second round of peace talks, with Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command accusing the U.S. of “armed piracy” and vowing retaliation. Iranian state media said the ship was en route from China.
The incident is part of a broader 2026 U.S. crackdown on sanctioned vessels. Since December 2025, the Navy has intercepted more than 10 tankers linked to Iran and Venezuela, including the Russian-flagged Marinera in January. With a two-week ceasefire set to expire Tuesday and U.S. envoys due in Islamabad Monday for talks, Trump warned Iran of further strikes on infrastructure if it refuses terms.
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
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