U.S. Central Command said Marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli boarded and seized the Iran-flagged container ship M/V Touska after the vessel was disabled by fire from the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance. CENTCOM posted video of the operation and said U.S. forces had issued repeated warnings over a six-hour period before taking action.
Iran’s top joint military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement reported on state television and Telegram that Tehran will respond to what it called U.S. “aggression” against the merchant vessel. A spokesperson said Iranian forces would take the “necessary action” following the seizure.
China also voiced concern. At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged all parties to act responsibly and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway where unimpeded passage is a shared global interest. Tracking data and reports indicate the Touska’s most recent port call may have been Klang, Malaysia, and that it previously sailed from Zhuhai in southern China.
Separately, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has made no decision to resume negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, stating there are currently no plans for another round of talks. Baghaei reiterated Iran’s declared red lines and said insisting on those terms would not alter Tehran’s positions.
Baghaei blamed the United States and Israel for destabilizing the Strait of Hormuz, pointing to recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, what he described as a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and the seizure of the Iranian cargo ship as examples of aggressive acts. He said repeated strikes and confrontations over the past nine months have eroded Tehran’s trust in American diplomacy.
CENTCOM’s account said the Spruance fired to disable the Touska after the ship failed to comply with warnings, and that helicopter-borne Marines from the Tripoli carried out the boarding. U.S. officials released imagery of the interception in the north Arabian Sea, while Iran has signaled it will respond to the incident through military channels.
The situation adds to mounting tensions in the region, with international actors calling for restraint and adherence to rules governing passage through strategic waterways.