The US intercepts ship attempting to breach naval blockade in Gulf of Oman, likely carrying chemicals for ballistic missiles

The US intercepted the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman, which was trying to break a naval blockade.

The US President Donald Trump wrote about this on TruthSocial.

The US Central Command reported that the ship did not respond to military warnings for 6 hours, so its engine room was hit with a MK 45 naval gun. After that, US Marines boarded the ship.

As WP notes, this is the first time since the naval blockade began on April 13 that American troops have landed on a ship.

The media also reported that the Touska belongs to an Iranian company that the US accuses of supplying materials for Tehranʼs ballistic missile program. When the ship was intercepted, it was returning from the Chinese port of Gaolan, where chemicals are shipped, including sodium perchlorate, which is needed for solid rocket fuel. However, it is not yet known exactly what was on the ship.

According to US Central Command, since the beginning of the blockade, US forces have forced 25 commercial vessels to change course or return to Iranian ports.

• Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli attacks on the country in late February. The strait is a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. About a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. Markets reacted immediately, with oil, gas and precious metals rising in price.
• On April 11, American warships entered the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the start of the war: the destroyers Frank E. Peterson and Michael Murphy. The American military said that their task was to clear the water area of Iranian mines and create a new route for ships.
• However, on April 12, Trump reported that the United States had blocked the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, no ship would be able to pass through it until the United States and Iran reached an agreement on complete freedom of passage for all. And on April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
• On April 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reported that the Strait of Hormuz had been opened amid a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. On April 18, Iran announced that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.

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