From warning to gunfire: How the US Navy exploded into action to capture an Iranian ship
The US military operating in the Arabian Sea took the drastic action of firing on the engine room of the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel Touska over the weekend.
US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the ship was transiting the Arabian Sea at 17 knots, and the destroyer USS Spruance had issued multiple warnings that the ship was in violation of the US blockade.
These warnings took place over a six-hour period before the US vessel engaged the ship with her five-inch gun. This gunfire is likely to have caused considerable damage to the engine room, rendering the ship unable to move.
This indicates the US navy was in a rush to prevent the ship from closing on the Iranian coastline, as ship tracking data shows the ship was approaching the Iranian-Pakistani border.
It is possible Centcom was concerned that if the ship got too close to the coastline, then US ships or helicopters would be vulnerable to Iranian anti-ship or air defence missiles.
Previous intercepts in the Caribbean have involved US forces fast-roping onto ships and taking control of the bridge and engine room.
Firing directly at the ship is seen as a last resort, normally after warning shots have been fired.
It is uncertain why the Touska appeared determined to run the blockade.
The ship's last stop was Port Klang in Malaysia, according to ship monitoring websites.
However, this could be a ruse as the Washington Post reported the ship had previously docked in China and could be carrying sodium perchlorate, which is used to make solid rocket fuel for Iranian missiles.
US Marine teams boarded the ship and will examine the cargo to confirm its nature.
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