US Navy fires at and boards Iranian-flagged cargo ship (VIDEOS)

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.

The Touska was traveling from a Chinese chemical-storage port and was laden with cargo, the Washington Post reports, citing tracking data. The port is often used for transporting chemicals, including sodium perchlorate, a key precursor for producing solid rocket fuel, it added, noting that it is unclear what cargo the Touska was carrying.

Later, CENTCOM also released a video of US forces boarding the disabled ship from a helicopter.

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

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.

READ MORE: US seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship – Trump

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.