US seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz, prompting Tehran retaliation threat

U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz on April 19, according to AP and other reports, in the latest escalation over control of the strategic waterway.

AP identified the vessel as Touska and said it had tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade. The report said the ship was intercepted by the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance after repeated warnings over several hours.

Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond and described the boarding as piracy and a ceasefire violation. U.S. officials said the vessel was in American custody and that Marines were checking what was on board.

The seizure comes after CENTCOM announced a blockade last week targeting ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, while saying normal transit through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports would not be impeded. It was the first reported interception since that blockade took effect.

The immediate questions are whether anyone was injured, what cargo the ship was carrying and what form Iran’s retaliation could take.