Iran has promised to “respond” to this unprecedented operation by the American navy, which could jeopardize the resumption of peace negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
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/2026/04/20/69e5d829ef4ea029707162.jpg "VIDEOS. Shellfire, soldiers being airlifted, threats of retaliation… How the US army took control of an Iranian cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.")
Gunfire rang out in the Strait of Hormuz. A US Navy ship opened fire on an Iranian cargo ship attempting to reach a port city, Bandar Abbas, in the presence of a US blockade of Iranian ports. “It did not go well for them,” commented US President Donald Trump, announcing that the cargo ship was now under US control.
Franceinfo tells the story of this unprecedented operation, which could have consequences on the ongoing war in the Middle East and the peace negotiations currently on hold.
1. An American destroyer fires on the cargo ship “Touska”
The Iranian-flagged container ship, “Touska,” was “intercepted” in the Gulf of Oman by the US Navy on Sunday, according to Donald Trump. Measuring nearly 300 meters long, this cargo ship had departed from Malaysia a week earlier and was heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, according to VesselFinder navigation data. “US forces issued several warnings” and informed the ship “that it was violating the US blockade,” reported the US military.
“After six hours of warnings ignored by the crew of the Touska,” the US destroyer USS Spruance “ordered the ship to evacuate its engine room” and “neutralized Touska’s propulsion by firing several cannon shells,” said the US command on its website. “Our ship stopped its progress by piercing a hole in the engine room,” praised Donald Trump on his Truth Social network.
Images released by the US military show the two ships side by side as the crew of the Spruance warned the Touska that it was about to engage in “immobilization shots.”
Sirens then sound, before the American ship, at a distance, proceeds to fire at least three cannon shots.
2. Marines board the Iranian ship
Parallel to the action of the destroyer Spruance, further in the Arabian Sea, American military personnel took off from the assault helicopter carrier USS Tripoli to “seize” the targeted cargo ship, said the military. A video published by the US command shows the progress of this nighttime operation, with two helicopters flying over the Touska and a soldier rappelling down onto a container of the cargo ship.
“We have full control of the ship and are looking at what is on board!” said Donald Trump, emphasizing that the Touska was under US sanctions “due to its history of illegal activities.” A document from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control does indeed mention sanctions targeting this container ship “linked to the maritime companies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” According to The Washington Post, the ship belongs to a company accused of transporting material for the Iranian ballistic program. According to the military, 25 commercial ships have been ordered “to turn around or return to an Iranian port” since the US blockade came into effect.
3. The Tehran regime threatens to “respond soon”
Denouncing an “act of armed piracy,” the Iranian military staff promised on Monday to “respond soon” and to take “retaliatory measures” targeting “American military personnel.” Friday, Iran lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but in response to the continued US port blockade, it announced the next day that it would resume “strict control” over the passage. On Saturday, several commercial ships, including a container ship from the French group CMA CGM, came under fire and threats from the Iranian navy as they attempted to pass through the strait.
As Iran and the US accuse each other of violating the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday, these incidents could jeopardize the holding of new negotiations between the two countries. A US delegation is due to arrive in Pakistan on Monday to restart peace talks, but Tehran has “currently no plans to participate in the next round of discussions,” according to Iranian state television. Several Iranian media outlets suggest that a lifting of the US naval blockade, in effect since April 13, would be a prerequisite for these talks. This escalation of tensions has already caused a new surge in oil prices on Monday morning, following the decline observed last week.
