Desk Correspondent , Tehran - US forces intercepted and seized the Iranian flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman on April 19, 2026, after it ignored repeated warnings to halt amid a US naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that a guided missile destroyer "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room," with US Marines now inspecting the sanctioned vessel's cargo en route to Bandar Abbas.

CENTCOM's released footage depicts the sequence: after multiple radio warnings and visual signals to halt, Touska accelerated toward the blockade line; the destroyer responded with precision guided munitions targeting the engine room, causing visible smoke and immediate propulsion failure without risking crew lives or hull integrity. Marines fast roped aboard post disablement, detaining the 22 crew members (mostly Iranian and Pakistani nationals) unharmed; initial scans revealed no weapons but crates under manifests for further US inspection at an undisclosed port. This mirrors prior US interdictions but escalates due to the direct engine strike.

Iran's Foreign Ministry branded the seizure state sponsored piracy and a blatant ceasefire violation, activating Revolutionary Guard drone swarms toward US carriers while promising asymmetric retaliation; state media aired crew distress calls amplifying propaganda. The move threatens Pakistan's fragile mediation via Army Chief Asim Munir, with Islamabad talks now at risk; oil benchmarks jumped 3.5% to $92/barrel on supply fears, compounding India's tanker woes and global inflation pressures.