The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced that yesterday the missile destroyer USS Spruance imposed the stopped at an Iranian-flagged container ship that was trying to heading towards an Iranian port by forcing the blockade of the ports announced by Centcom and in force since last Monday ( of 13 April 2026). The US command specified that the container ship Touska was intercepted while it sailed at a speed of 17 knots in the north of the Arabian Sea, bound for Bandar Abbas.

The American command said that from the USS Spruance Several warnings have been issued and the Iranian ship has was informed that it was violating the U.S. naval blockade. After the crew of the Touska did not comply with the repeated warnings for a period of six hours - explained Centcom in a note - the Spruance ordered the ship to evacuate the hall machines and thus disabled the propulsion of the Touska firing several rounds with the MK 45 5-inch cannon of the destroyers that hit the engine room. The Marines of the 31st Expeditionary Unit subsequently boarded the boat that was placed in U.S. custody.

Touska is owned and operated by Iran's Soroush Sarzamin Asatir Ship Management Co., both listed as entities sanctioned by the US, with the ship management company which is considered a vehicle adopted to allow the shipping company Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) to bypass the sanctions.

Highlighting that the American forces have acted in a thoughtful, professional and proportionate to ensure compliance of the rules, Centcom specified that since the beginning of the lockdown the U.S. forces ordered 25 merchant ships to reverse the route or to return to an Iranian port.

Meanwhile, if a handful of ships have succeeded in the last few days to cross the Strait of Hormuz, including some cruise including two from the Greek Celestyal Cruises, two from TUI Cruises and one of MSC Cruises, the vast majority of ships still present in the region, conditions of greater safety to transit through it.