‘It did not go well for them’: U.S. seizes Iranian cargo ship after ‘blowing a hole’ in its engine room, Trump says
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the U.S. has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that was trying to bypass a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
“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 said on Truth Social.
“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!”
U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at… https://t.co/iyzOQd93C3 pic.twitter.com/HwU4XS48Oq
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 19, 2026
U.S. Central Command stated: “U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19.
“Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade.
“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.
“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.”
The U.S. naval blockade continues… pic.twitter.com/EBvglrf6FA
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 17, 2026
Earlier Sunday, as WorldNetDaily reported, Trump issued a new warning to Iran after the Islamic Republic fired upon an oil tanker Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz – A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” Trump exclaimed in a lengthy post on Truth Social. “Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it?
“My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan – They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations. Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it.
Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz the dirty way.
It started with 2 IRGC gunboats pulling up on a merchant tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman, no radio warning, no challenge, just straight gunfire.
Breach of maritime rules?
The goal wasn’t to sink the ship, but… https://t.co/H46p1kEdpK pic.twitter.com/5FZzlQgXaE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 19, 2026
“They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be ‘the tough guy!’
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.
“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!”
IRAN DELUSIONAL, Iran claims they “FULLY CONTROL” the Strait of Hormuz while US Navy destroyers and Apache helicopters are parked right there ready to sink their entire fleet.
IRGC is throwing a public meltdown because Trump holds 100% of the leverage. pic.twitter.com/7wWtEubOni
— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) April 18, 2026
Jonathan Karl of ABC News says Trump told him despite the “serious violation” of the ceasefire, the president thinks he still can get a peace deal.
“It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way. It’s going to happen. You can quote me,” Trump said.
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