Video: Moment US Marines rappelled onto Iran ship and seized it

US Marines rappelled from helicopters onto the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska in the Arabian Sea after it ignored warnings for six hours, with support from USS Tripoli and USS Spruance, which disabled the ship's propulsion.

In Short

• US Marines seized Iranian cargo ship in Arabian Sea
• Iran vows retaliation, calls US action armed piracy
• Tensions rise after failed Pak peace talks and US blockade

A new video shows how commandos from the United States Marine Corps boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship and seized control in the Arabian Sea over the weekend. The development marks a new turn in the ongoing US-Iran conflict where all the action has now moved to the Strait of Hormuz.

The US, last week, announced a blockade of the Strait as far as ships going to and come from Iranian ports are concerned. The US had warned that any Iran-linked ship trying to sail out of the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Sea may be seized.

On Sunday, the US Navy did just that, intercepting and seizing the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska. Visuals of the interception showed a US Navy ship firing at the cargo vessel before a contingent of marine commandos rappelled onto it.

According to US Central Command, the Marines carried out the boarding after the ship failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance disabled the vessel’s propulsion before the Marines rappelled onto it and seized control.

After the seizure of the ship, US President Donald Trump added that US Marines have full custody of the vessel and are checking what is on board. He also alleged that the ship is under US Treasury sanctions due to previous “illegal activity” and said it was intercepted in the Gulf of Oman after ignoring repeated warnings from US forces.

After peace talks in Islamabad collapsed without a deal, Donald Trump had ordered a naval blockade of the world's most important oil chokepoint.

IRAN VOWS RETALIATION

Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from China. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military," a military spokesperson said, according to state media.

"One cannot restrict Iran's oil exports while expecting free security for others. The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone," Iran's First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref wrote on social media.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on President Masoud Pezeshkian’s phone conversation with Pakistan’s prime minister earlier today. The report says Pezeshkian alleged bullying and unreasonable behaviour by the United States during negotiations and the ceasefire.

The report says Pezeshkian warned that the US actions and threatening rhetoric have led to increased suspicion among Iranian officials about the seriousness of the United States and the possibility that it will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy.”

- Ends