'Will respond & retaliate against this armed piracy': Iran confirms US seizure of its vessel

The warning follows a statement from United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which said American forces had intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, TOUSKA, in the Arabian Sea for allegedly violating a US naval blockade.

Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters has confirmed that a US attack targeted an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman, according to a statement reported by Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency. 

"The aggressive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran's commercial ships in the waters of the Sea of Oman by firing upon it and disabling its navigation system by deploying several of its terrorist marines on the deck of the mentioned vessel", the statement said, confirming that the ship had been seized.

The statement has also warned of a response from Tehran. "We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military," it added.

The warning follows a statement from United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which said American forces had intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, TOUSKA, in the Arabian Sea for allegedly violating a US naval blockade.

"TAMPA, Fla. - US forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19," CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

It said that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel as it was en route to Bandar Abbas.

"Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade," the statement read.

As per the CENTCOM, the vessel failed to comply with repeated warnings.

"After Touska's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska's engine room. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in US custody," it added.

The US command stated that the operation was conducted in a “deliberate, professional, and proportionate” manner, adding that since the blockade was imposed, 25 commercial vessels had been turned back.

Earlier, Donald Trump also asserted that American forces had taken “full custody” of the vessel after it allegedly attempted to breach the blockade in the Gulf of Oman.

"Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA. tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that the ship was intercepted after it refused to heed warnings.

"Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what's on board!" he added.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with the United States accusing Iran of breaching the ceasefire and disrupting maritime traffic.

Meanwhile, Iran has dismissed US claims about agreeing to a second round of talks, with its official IRNA news agency rejecting reports of proposed negotiations in Islamabad and describing them as part of a “media game.”

These developments come as the two-week ceasefire period between the two sides is due to expire on April 22.