WASHINGTON, Apr 20 — Iranian forces launched drone strikes yesterday targeting multiple American vessels in retaliation for US forces intercepting and seizing an Iranian ship, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing local media.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that after US forces boarded the container ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian drones were launched against American vessels, without specifying whether the targets were military or commercial.
Iran had earlier confirmed that US forces seized the Iranian vessel and warned it would retaliate “soon” following the move, which it described as a violation of a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire that has largely held since it was announced on April 7.
Fars News Agency, also semi-official, reported that the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said US forces targeted the vessel, disabled its navigation system and boarded it after what it described as a ceasefire violation.
Ship tracking data shows the TOUSKA departed Port Klang in Malaysia on April 12.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said US forces opened fire on the vessel before boarding it.
The incident was first announced by US President Donald Trump yesterday and later confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said the USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to breach a US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
According to CENTCOM, Marines continue to hold the vessel in US custody. It said the ship was bound for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
CENTCOM also released video footage on the US social media platform X showing a US warship warning the vessel before opening fire.
Zolfaghari said: “The aggressive United States, by violating the ceasefire and engaging in maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran’s vessels after disabling its navigation system.”
He added that US forces boarded the vessel after deploying “a number of terrorist marines”.
“We warn that Iran’s military forces will soon respond and retaliate against this armed act of piracy by the US military,” he said.
