Iran threatened to retaliate against the US after American forces attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, this Sunday (19).
The action was initially announced by American President Donald Trump, who stated that the vessel .
“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship called TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to bypass our naval blockade, and it didn’t work out for them,” Trump said in a post on the social media site Truth Social.
“The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman and warned them to stop. The Iranian crew refused to comply, so our Navy ship immediately detained them by cutting a hole in the engine room. At this time, the U.S. Marines are in custody of the ship,” the American president added.
CENTCOM (US Central Command) confirmed the operation in a statement, stating that the vessel ignored warnings for around six hours before the intervention.
According to the statement, the destroyer “deactivated the Touska’s propulsion” after . According to the command, since the beginning of the blockade, 25 commercial ships have been forced to retreat or return to Iranian ports.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM)
Iran promises response
Iran’s top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, classified the action as “armed piracy”.
“We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate,” a spokesman said, according to Iranian state media.
Even before the attack was confirmed, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, had already criticized the naval blockade imposed by the US, accusing Washington of violating international law and intensifying tensions in the region.
Strait of Hormuz
In recent days, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has once again been affected following attacks on vessels. On Saturday (18), Iranian speedboats fired at a tanker, while another vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile, according to UK maritime authorities.
Data from the Marine Traffic platform indicates that several vessels left the area, seeking safer routes in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it could block the strait and warned that any vessel approaching the region could be considered collaborating with enemy forces.
(With information from Alejandra Jaramillo, from CNNHatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba, yes Reuters)
