The United States military said it intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, intensifying an already volatile standoff over maritime access near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command stated that naval forces acted after the vessel, identified as the Touska, failed to comply with repeated warnings over six hours while allegedly violating a U.S.-enforced blockade.
According to U.S. officials, the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance issued multiple warnings before firing on the ship and disabling its propulsion system.
The statement said Marines later boarded the vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.
President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, stating that U.S. forces “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room” and are now inspecting the cargo onboard.
Tracking data indicated the Touska had departed Malaysia earlier this month and was nearing Iran’s Chabahar port before halting and drifting in the Gulf of Oman.
The vessel is listed under U.S. Treasury sanctions due to prior alleged activities.
Iranian media presented a sharply different version of events, asserting that Iranian naval units intervened after U.S. forces opened fire on a commercial vessel.
The reports claimed Iranian forces forced U.S. ships to withdraw from the area, contradicting Washington’s assertion of full control over the vessel.
The incident unfolds amid heightened tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, where a U.S. blockade has been in place since April 13.
Iranian officials have warned that maritime traffic will remain restricted while the blockade continues, signaling broader regional implications.
The seizure comes as diplomatic uncertainty persists, with planned talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives still unclear and a fragile ceasefire deadline approaching.
The diverging accounts underscore the risk of further escalation in one of the world’s most strategically critical waterways.