U.S. Marines executed a high-risk boarding and seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that attempted to run an American naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, according to newly released footage from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The operation, carried out in one of the worlds most strategically vital waterways, underscored Washingtons willingness under President Donald Trump to enforce maritime sanctions with hard power rather than diplomatic posturing. According to the Daily Caller, CENTCOM on Monday published a 33-second video showing Marines fast-roping from Sikorsky MH-60S helicopters onto the M/V Touska, an Iranian ship that allegedly tried to blow past the U.S. cordon in defiance of repeated warnings.
President Trump had announced Sunday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance engaged and seized the Touska after the vessel ignored U.S. directives over a prolonged standoff. The video, posted on X, shows the navalized Blackhawk variants hovering over the ship as Marines descend to secure the deck in a textbook display of American naval dominance.
U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska, CENTCOM said in the post. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touskas propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period.
The action followed President Trumps April 12 Truth Social declaration of a naval blockade aimed at ships paying Iranian tolls in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency, a direct challenge to Tehrans sanctions-evasion schemes. His policy makes clear that vessels financing Irans regime risk interception by the U.S. Navy, restoring a deterrent posture critics say was eroded under prior administrations.
After Touskas crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touskas propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyers 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touskas engine room, CENTCOM detailed in the post. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.
The seizure comes as President Trump has floated the possibility of personally traveling to Pakistan for a second round of talks with Iran, provided his envoys first secure a viable framework. It also follows renewed Iranian interference in the Strait of Hormuz, including fresh restrictions on access and reported gunfire directed at a tanker, reinforcing concerns about Tehrans aggression toward global energy routes.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, like the Spruance, are purpose-built for such confrontations, equipped with a five-inch gun, two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes and an array of surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, according to a U.S. Navy fact file. In a Sunday post on X, CENTCOM elaborated on how this combination of firepower and precision allowed the Spruance to halt the Touska without loss of life, signaling that U.S. forces will not hesitate to use superior capability to keep vital sea lanes open.
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