The U.S. Navy has fired upon and boarded an inbound Iranian container ship, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. It is the first instance of kinetic methods being used for enforcement during the selective blockade.
According to U.S. Central Command, the sanctioned boxship Touska approached the blockade enforcement area in the Gulf of Oman and attempted to continue on an inbound course, arriving from China and headed for Bandar Abbas. Destroyer USS Spruance issued a warning, which Touska disregarded, Trump said, “so our navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room.”
According to CENTCOM, the vessel was warned for six hours, and the crew was instructed to evacuate the engine room before Spruance opened fire with her deck gun. Several rounds disabled the boxship’s propulsion, CENTCOM said.
U.S. Marines boarded and took control of the vessel, Trump said. “We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” he wrote in a social media message.
Iran’s joint military command called the attack on the Touska a violation of the U.S. ceasefire agreement, and pledged that it will retaliate “soon.”
At about the same time, a tanker in ballast was allowed to proceed to Iran without kinetic interference, according to TankerTrackers.com – the latest in a series of empty Iranian VLCCs navigating past the U.S. naval cordon, despite CENTCOM’s claims that Iranian commerce is completely blocked in and out. Laden, outbound VLCCs have been consistently halted and turned around; at least some inbound VLCCs have effectively been permitted to pass.
