An American warship disabled the vessel’s engine before Marines boarded it, CENTCOM said
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a video showing one of its warships firing on an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that was later seized by US Marines.
According to CENTCOM, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the M/V Touska in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to breach a US-imposed naval blockade and reach the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas via the Strait of Hormuz.
“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 the engine room,” CENTCOM said, adding that a team from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the vessel.
Iranian officials denounced the blockade as illegal under international law, saying it violates the terms of a two-week ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
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The Iranian military has vowed to retaliate for the seizure of the vessel.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency later reported that the Iranian military had launched a drone at US ships. The US has not confirmed whether any of its vessels came under attack.
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