A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska as USS Spruance (DDG 111) conduts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. CENTCOM / VIA REUTERS
A US destroyer on Sunday, April 19, fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said the same day. Trump posted on Truth Social that after the Iranian vessel, Touska, ignored warnings to stop, the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room." "Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel," the US president added, "and are seeing what's on board!"
Iran's military on Sunday vowed to respond. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military," said a spokesperson for the military's central command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency. He accused the United States of having "violated the ceasefire" that has been in place since April 8.
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