U.S. forces fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman
The Facts
- U.S. forces intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named Touska in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday.
- U.S. officials said the ship was warned to stop but did not comply.
- U.S. forces fired into the ship's engine room to disable it.
- U.S. Marines or other U.S. boarding forces then boarded the vessel and took custody of it.
- The interception took place as part of a U.S. naval blockade targeting Iranian ports and shipping.
- The U.S. identified the warship involved as the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance.
- Iran condemned the seizure and said it would retaliate or respond.
- Multiple reports described this as the first reported attempt to breach, or first seizure under, the new U.S. blockade.
Context
Why did U.S. forces say they fired on the ship?
U.S. officials said the Touska ignored repeated warnings to stop during enforcement of the U.S. naval blockade, and that firing into the engine room was intended to disable the vessel before boarding NYT,Fox News,Hindustan Times.
What happened after the ship was disabled?
After the engine room was hit, U.S. boarding forces, including Marines, boarded the vessel and took it into U.S. custody NYT,BBC,Hindustan Times.
How has Iran responded?
Iran said the seizure violated the ceasefire, described it as piracy or an armed attack on a commercial ship, and warned that it would respond or retaliate Deutsche Welle,TimesNow,BBC.
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