The US military confirmed that their destroyer fired multiple rounds at an Iranian-flagged ship attempting to break through the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement on Sunday, 19 Apr 2026 GMT+7, reporting that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named Touska as it was heading to an Iranian port, violating the blockade measures.
"After the crew of the Touska repeatedly failed to comply with warnings issued over six hours, the Spruance ordered those on board to evacuate the engine room," CENTCOM stated.
Officials then fired multiple rounds at the Touska's engine room to disable the ship's propulsion system.
The US military statement also noted that since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week, the US has ordered 25 commercial vessels to turn back or return to Iranian ports.
This CENTCOM statement provided additional details after President Donald Trump had already disclosed the incident via Truth Social.
"Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named Touska, nearly 900 feet long and weighing nearly as much as an aircraft carrier, attempted to pass through our naval blockade. The outcome was not favorable for them," Trump's post read.
"The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Touska in the Gulf of Oman and issued proper warnings to stop the ship. However, the Iranian crew refused to comply, so our Navy stopped them by firing rounds that punctured the engine room. US Marines have now taken control of the vessel."
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Source:cnn