US Marines took command of the Iranian-flagged vessel that tried to break the US blockade in the Gulf on Sunday, dramatic new video shows.
Footage released by US Central Command shows the moment Marines aboard the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship took off to board the Iranian Touska, which was caught trying to enter the Arabian Sea.
The Marines are seen departing on a helicopter, with a cut showing the aircraft hovering over the Touska as the troops descended onto the ship and took control.
“The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from US forces over a six-hour period,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
President Trump hailed the interception and enforcement of the blockade on Iran’s ports, saying the Spruance blew a hole in the Touska’s engine room to halt the ship in the Gulf of Oman.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president said on Sunday. “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!”
The incident marked the first time the US had taken custody of an Iranian tanker after establishing the blockade last Monday.
Iran slammed the move as a clear violation of the cease-fire, which Trump said is to expire Wednesday night, describing the seizure of the boat as an “act of aggression.”
Since Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the war, the Islamic republic has moved a handful of its tankers every day while denying passage for hundreds of ships stuck in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s restrictions and the US blockade has effectively left the strait completely closed, risking another spike at already soaring fuel prices across the world.
