President Donald Trump said Sunday that a U.S. Navy warship intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, marking an escalation in tensions around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said U.S. forces intercepted the cargo ship Touska after it attempted to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait and ignored repeated warnings to stop.
“The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump said. “Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel.”
The Touska, which Trump said is under U.S. Treasury sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity,” was intercepted near Iran’s border with Pakistan. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel had departed from Port Klang in Malaysia before attempting to pass through the blockade.
The Iran-flagged container ship TOUSKA IMO 9328900 which US Navy seized in Gulf of Oman according to President Trump, was in China; left ~ March 29, AIS data shows. Made stop in Malaysia ( Port Klang) before departing around April 12 ( see full voyage below and red box shows… pic.twitter.com/oS4EzK8ZrH
— Noam Raydan (@NoamRaydan) April 19, 2026
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later confirmed the operation, saying the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance fired several rounds at the ship’s engine room after the crew “failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period.”
Video released by the Pentagon captured a U.S. sailor’s voice over radio warning the vessel: “Motor vessel Touska, vacate your engine room. We’re prepared to subject you to disabling fire.”
US Navy destroyer USS Spruance has fired on Iranian vessel M/V Touska in the Gulf of Oman to stop an attempted blockade breach. The ship was hit in the engine area, after which US Marine Force Recon units from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the vessel. #US pic.twitter.com/uBe3ajWzDI
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) April 19, 2026
The Iranian government has not publicly commented on the seizure of the Touska.
The U.S. began enforcing a naval blockade on vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports last week after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement. CENTCOM said U.S. forces have since directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to Iranian ports.
On Saturday, Iran said it would close the Strait of Hormuz again in retaliation to the U.S. naval blockade. The announcement was made hours after the country briefly reopened the key shipping lane.
In a statement carried by Iran’s Student News Agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports.
The IRGC said the blockade amounted to a violation of the ongoing ceasefire, warning that it would continue to treat the waterway as under strict military control until conditions change.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway. India’s foreign ministry said it summoned Iran’s ambassador over what it called a “serious incident.”
The 10-day ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is due to expire by Wednesday. A U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance was expected to travel to Pakistan on Monday for a second round of peace talks.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump warned that if Iran did not agree to the U.S.’s terms to end the conflict, he would “knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge” in Iran.
Trump added: “No more Mr. Nice guy! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the deal, it will be my honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other presidents, for the last 47 years. It’s time for the Iran killing machine to end!”
