The US military took custody of an Iranian-flagged container ship that attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump announced on Sunday.
In a social media post, Trump said that an “Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA” tried to get past the US naval blockade, “and it did not go well for them”.
Trump said that a US navy guided missile destroyer had warned the Touska to stop in the Gulf of Oman, but the vessel did not. “[Our] Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump said, adding that US marines now have custody of the vessel.
“The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity,” Trump added.
The cargo ship was stopped near Iran’s border with Pakistan, and is more than 900ft long, according to the tracking website Marine Traffic.
The Iranian government has not yet commented.
The latest military action by the US raises new questions about the possibility of extending a ceasefire between the two warring nations.
Trump had previously announced that US officials would be headed to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iranian leaders about the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.
Touska had previously left Port Klang, a major port in Malaysia, when the vessel then attempted to move past the US blockade, according to tracking information from TankerTrackers.com.
