- According to the news agency, Iran’s military intended to continue responding to “piracy” policy and attacks on behalf of the US side
- Seized Iranian cargo vessel was en route to Iranian Bandar Abbas port — US Central Command
The Iranian armed forces delivered strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles against US warships in response to the seizure of a vessel belonging to the Islamic Republic, Tasnim news agency reported citing a spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces.
According to the Spokesperson, the vessel seized by the US military was en route from China to the Gulf of Oman. US forces launched fire against the vessel in violation of the ceasefire and disabled its navigation system. In response, Iran attacked US ships with drones.
The Spokesperson stressed that the country’s military intended to continue responding to “piracy” policy and attacks on behalf of the U.S. side.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the Iranian cargo vessel that was seized earlier by the U.S. forces was traveling en route to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
“Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran,” the command reported in a statement on X social network page. “American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the US 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,” according to the statement. “Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room.”
“US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,” CENTCOM’s statement added.
US President Donald Trump stated earlier that the American military had seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman for trying to breach the naval blockade.
Following negotiations between the US and Iran on April 11, the US Central Command announced that on April 13, it would begin a naval blockade of Iran, preventing the movement of all ships heading to ports in the Islamic Republic, as well as attempting to sail from its shores.
Written with reports from TASS
