WATCH | CENTCOM video shows moment US Marines took control of Iranian vessel

The United States Central Command on Sunday (Apr 20) released footage showing how the Marines Corps seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Sea of Oman. The US also shared a video proof of ‘repeated warnings’ issued to the crew of the ship over a six-hour period, saying that they “failed to comply”. The incident, which marked the first seizure in the US blockade of Iranian ports, re-escalated the tensions between Washington and Tehran over the weekend. In response, Iran has vowed to respond, calling the attack and seizure a violation of ceasefire.

The vessel, M/V Touska, was intercepted by the American forces in the northern Arabian Sea while it was en route to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. According to the Department of War, the ship’s propulsion was disabled by guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) that fired several rounds of 5-inch MK 45 Gun into its engine room. Following this, the US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit entered Touska and took custody of the vessel.

Posting a video of the US Marines operation, US Central Command wrote on X, “U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 20, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period.”

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Vessel ignored ‘repeated warnings’

The US has alleged that its forces acted after Touska’s crew failed to comply with “repeated warnings” amid the blockade.

“American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” DOW Rapid Response said in a statement on X. “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 that the American forces acted in a “deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance.” Since the blockade, US forces have directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, it said.

Iran vows retaliation

Tehran called the incident a violation of the ceasefire, denouncing the US attack and seizure as “maritime piracy” and vowing that “Iran will respond soon”.

“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. 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,” Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned in a statement.

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