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Recently, the USS Spruance, a destroyer from the Arleigh Burke class, engaged and incapacitated the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel M/V Touska. This ship was navigating from Port Klang, Malaysia, with its destination set for Chabahar, Iran. Upon encountering the U.S. Navy’s blockade in the Arabian Sea, the Touska attempted an imprudent breakthrough. It seems the captain aimed to showcase his defiance to his superiors in the Islamic Revolution by trying to challenge what some Western critics call an unlawful blockade of Iran. Despite receiving multiple warnings to alter course over six hours, the vessel persisted in its path.
As noted by my colleague Nickarama, this was a perilous and unwise move: Iranian Cargo Ship Tries to Get Past the U.S. Blockade – Trump: It ‘Did Not Go Well for Them’ – RedState. The ship was not only commanded to halt but was also under U.S. Treasury sanctions due to its affiliations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The U.S. Central Command has now made public a video showing the warnings issued to the Touska and the subsequent military encounter.
The weapon employed was the Mark 45, a 5-inch, 62-caliber gun, with a barrel length 62 times the diameter of its bore. Each shell, weighing 68 pounds, travels at a velocity of 2,500 feet per second. Three of these shells struck the engine room, effectively quelling the captain’s ambitions, even if the engine remained functional.
Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit have boarded and now control the Touska. Since the blockade’s implementation (see CENTCOM Starts the Iranian Blockade Monday – Here Are the Rules and What to Look For – RedState), the U.S. Navy has directed 25 ships to reverse course. This marks the first instance of the blockade being challenged, and it’s likely to be the last. The ownership of the ship remains, but the chances of its recovery or receiving insurance compensation are virtually nonexistent.
According to CENTCOM, the destroyer issued repeated warnings over several hours before taking action after… pic.twitter.com/AmaiZeXAHs
— Inside the conflict (@InsidConflict) April 19, 2026
The gun used is the Mark 45, a 5-inch, 62-caliber gun (that means the barrel is 62 times the bore diameter). Each shell fired weighs about 68 pounds and travels at 2,500 feet per second. Three of them, tearing through the engine room, undoubtedly cooled the captain’s jets even if the engine remained operational.
Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Up to 2,500 Marines Are Headed to the Persian Gulf As Iranian Blockade of Hormuz Takes Center Stage – RedState) boarded the Touska and are now in control of it. Since the blockade was announced (see CENTCOM Starts the Iranian Blockade Monday – Here Are the Rules and What to Look For – RedState), the U. S. Navy has ordered 25 ships to turn around. This was the first time our Navy has been challenged, and I’m willing to bet it will be the last. Someone owns that ship, and the odds of them retrieving it or getting an insurance payout are about zero.
President Trump has ordered U.S. negotiators to fly to Islamabad Monday (US Negotiators Head Back to Islamabad, but the Iranians May Not Be There – RedState), for their part, the Iranians have said they will not be there unless President Trump removes the blockade. This looks like a fairly emphatic “No!” in response to that demand. If the Iranians persist in their demand, the war will resume by Thursday morning. Their other option is a massive climb-down from their high horse and an admission that they don’t have a way to enforce any of their demands.
For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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