(FOX NEWS) — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said Friday that the Touska, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship seized by the U.S. military this week, ignored multiple warnings about the Iranian port blockade before being hit by “disabling fire” from American forces.
“As of this morning, 34 ships have met the U.S. blockade and made the wise choice to turn around. One ship did not. And that ship was the motor vessel Touska,” Caine said. “Over several hours this past Sunday, April 19th, the U.S. conducted maritime interdiction operations against the Touska, whose crew attempted to breach the blockade line.”
Caine described how a U.S. destroyer first approached the Touska “and the crew and the vessel ignored warnings.”
“Upon intercept and coming within visual range, American forces began to issue several clear and unambiguous warnings and inform the vessel and their crew that they were in a violation of the U.S. blockade and directed the ship to turn around,” Caine continued. “Over a 6-hour period, the vessel and her crew repeatedly ignored U.S. warnings, and then the U.S. Navy destroyer executed a series of pre-planned, carefully calibrated escalation options, including firing five warning shots.”
“The vessel and her crew continued to ignore warnings, and after exhausting all other measures, CENTCOM authorized disabling fire against the Tuska. U.S. sailors warned the crew of the Touska to abandon the engine room, and at approximately 9 a.m. Eastern Time, the destroyer disabled the Touska engine by firing nine inert rounds from the destroyer’s Mark 45 five-inch guns precisely into the engine room and engine space on board the Touska,” Caine said.
“Not surprisingly, the vessel then reported issues with their engine, went dead in the water and began to comply with U.S. directions and orders,” he added. “At 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, CENTCOM ordered United States Marines to seize the ship. Via helicopters, U.S. Marines maneuvered quickly to the disabled ship, boarded her from fast ropes via helicopter infiltration methods, and took custody of the ship. The ship and her crew remain safe in U.S. custody today.”
