WASHINGTON D.C. April 19, 2026 – President Donald J. Trump announced today that U.S. naval forces have taken full custody of a large Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that attempted to breach a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
According to the President’s statement, the ship—identified as the TOUSKA, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier—tried to run the blockade. The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the vessel and issued a fair warning to stop.
“The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” Trump said. “Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel.”
The TOUSKA has been under U.S. Treasury sanctions due to its prior history of illegal activity. U.S. authorities now have full control of the ship and are inspecting its cargo to determine its contents.
The incident is the latest enforcement action in the U.S. naval blockade of Iran, which was established in the region following stalled diplomatic talks. U.S. Central Command has previously reported successfully redirecting multiple Iranian-linked vessels attempting to evade the blockade, with no ships breaking through since operations intensified earlier this month.
President Trump’s statement, shared widely on social media by the White House Rapid Response account (@RapidResponse47), emphasized American naval strength and resolve:
“We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”
The TOUSKA (IMO 9328900) is a known sanctioned container ship that had reportedly been operating routes from Malaysia toward Iranian ports. This marks one of the first reported cases where U.S. forces used direct disabling force against a vessel ignoring orders during the current blockade operations.
No injuries have been reported in the President’s announcement, and the vessel is now under American control. Further details on the ship’s cargo and next steps are expected as the inspection continues.
This development underscores the Trump administration’s firm stance on enforcing sanctions and maritime security in the Gulf region amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
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