President Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon said the U.S. attacked an Iranian-flagged vessel attempting to navigate past Washington’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, appearing to mark the first time military force has been used in such a manner.
Trump said the Marines have custody of the ship after the Navy stopped the vessel “by blowing a hole in the engine room.”
“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
“The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop,” he continued. “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
