Tehran, April 20
Iran's Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters has confirmed the US attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman, according to a statement carried by Iranian state media Tasnim news agency.
"The aggressive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran's commercial ships in the waters of the Sea of Oman by firing upon it and disabling its navigation system by deploying several of its terrorist marines on the deck of the mentioned vessel", the statement said, confirming that the ship had been seized.
The statement also warned of a response from Tehran.
"We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military," it added.
The warning comes after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, TOUSKA, in the Arabian Sea for allegedly violating a US naval blockade.
"TAMPA, Fla. - 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," CENTCOM said in a statement on X.
It said the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel while it was heading towards Bandar Abbas.
"Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade," the statement read.
According to CENTCOM, the vessel failed to comply with repeated warnings.
"After Touska's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska's engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody," it added.
The US command said the action was carried out in a "deliberate, professional, and proportional manner" and noted that since the blockade began, 25 commercial vessels had been directed to turn around.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump also claimed that American forces had taken "full custody" of the vessel after it attempted to breach the blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
"Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA... tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that the ship was intercepted after it refused to heed warnings.
"Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel... We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what's on board!" he added.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with the US accusing Iran of violating a ceasefire and disrupting maritime traffic.
Meanwhile, Iran has denied US claims that it had agreed to participate in a second round of talks, with its official IRNA news agency rejecting reports of planned negotiations in Islamabad and calling them part of a "media game".
The developments come as the two-week ceasefire window between the two sides is set to end on April 22.
- ANI
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