Florida [US], April 20 (ANI): US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released footage documenting a maritime operation in which Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged vessel, the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman.
The video, shared by CENTCOM on X, captures the tactical sequence as Marines departed the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, via helicopter to intercept the container ship.
As the operation progressed, the footage showed personnel fast-roping, or rappelling, from the aircraft to gain access to the vessel’s deck. The boarding comes amid heightened focus on security and the monitoring of commercial shipping lanes in the region.
Iran’s Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters has confirmed the incident, describing it as an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman. In a statement carried by the Tasnim News Agency, Tehran accused the United States of “violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy” by firing upon the ship and disabling its navigation system while deploying Marines onto the deck. The statement also confirmed that the vessel had been seized.
Following the incident, the Iranian military issued a warning of retaliation. “We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to this armed piracy by the US military,” the statement said, further escalating tensions between the two nations.
According to a CENTCOM statement on X, the interception occurred because the vessel was allegedly violating a US naval blockade while attempting to sail toward an Iranian port on April 19. The command stated that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance tracked the M/V Touska as it transited at 17 knots toward Bandar Abbas.
CENTCOM said American forces issued multiple warnings over a six-hour period, but the vessel failed to comply. The USS Spruance was then directed to disable the ship’s propulsion by firing several rounds from its 5-inch MK 45 gun into the Touska’s engine room. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit subsequently boarded the “non-compliant vessel.”
While US officials described the operation as “deliberate, professional, and proportional,” US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that American forces had taken “full custody” of the vessel. He added that the Touska “tried to get past our naval blockade, and it did not go well for them,” noting that officials are now assessing the ship’s contents.
The confrontation has intensified tensions in West Asia, as Iran’s official IRNA news agency simultaneously rejected reports of planned peace negotiations in Islamabad, calling them a “media game.” The incident comes as a two-week ceasefire window between the two sides is set to conclude on April 22. (ANI)
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