President Donald Trump announced Sunday the U.S. Navy fired upon and seized an Iranian-flagged vessel trying to run the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump announced a naval blockade of the maritime chokepoint in an April 12 Truth Social post, saying ships that paid an Iranian toll in either Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency would be intercepted by the U.S. Navy. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111) fired on the tanker Touska in the Gulf of Oman, “blowing a hole” in the vessel’s engine room, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“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 announced. “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 [sic].”
WATCH:
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” Trump continued. “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!”
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