Trump: U.S. Navy Blows a Hole in Iranian Ship, Seizes Vessel — Tehran Threatens Response as Talks Remain Uncertain
President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship before seizing the vessel — marking the first known use of force under Washington’s naval blockade as Tehran threatens retaliation and critical ceasefire talks hang in the balance.
In a Truth Social post Sunday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel, identified as the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the blockade, adding that “U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel” and are “seeing what’s on board.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 19, 2026
Video released Sunday evening by U.S. Central Command confirmed the encounter, showing repeated warnings issued over several hours, including an audio command ordering, “Vacate your engine room… we are prepared to subject you to disabling fire,” before the destroyer fired into the vessel’s engine compartment.
CENTCOM said the Touska was warned multiple times over a six-hour period while sailing toward Iran’s Bandar Abbas port before U.S. forces disabled its propulsion using the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 gun, after which Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded and secured the vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.
The seizure marks the first known forcible interdiction since the blockade went into effect April 13, following the collapse of Pakistan-mediated talks, which U.S. officials said had already forced at least 25 vessels to turn back without incident.
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.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at… https://t.co/iyzOQd93C3 pic.twitter.com/HwU4XS48Oq
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 19, 2026
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Photo credit: Flickr
