U.S. Central Command has released footage of American Marines executing a mission to seize a tanker with a flag of the terrorist Iranian regime.
The USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska on April 19, as the Iranian-flagged ship was attempting to avoid and break through the American blockade preventing ships from reaching Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz. The genocidal Iranian regime continues to refuse a peace deal and commits ceasefire violations every time the American government announces that it is close to making a deal. Thus, the Trump administration has extended its blockade.
U.S. CENTCOM stated that “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.” You can watch the video CENTCOM released from the capture below.
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 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
It is always inspiring to watch our brave troops in action.
CENTCOM proudly boasted, “American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance. Since the blockade’s commencement, U.S. forces have directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port.”
Related: U.S. Arrests Iranian Arms Trafficker at Los Angeles Airport
On Sunday, President Donald Trump commented on the capture. “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president continued, “The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”
The genocidal Iranian regime is vowing revenge for the seizure of the tanker, just as it has been promising dire consequences since the beginning of this operation. You can’t teach old terrorists new tricks.
The same day that the Marines seized the tanker, American authorities arrested an Iranian arms trafficker at the Los Angeles airport who had spent a decade as a lawful resident of the United States, even though she is literally an Iranian regime operative. Shamim Mafi helped the Iranian regime obtain millions of rounds of ammunition, along with drones and bombs, at least some of which they almost certainly used against American troops. Fortunately, she’s finally in custody.
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