US Navy destroyer fires on and seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska near Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance fires on and seizes the sanctioned Iranian-flagged cargo vessel M/V Touska in the north Arabian Sea on April 19, 2026, after six hours of warnings. The ship was heading to Iran's Bandar Abbas port from China and had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command vows "necessary action" in retaliation. The ceasefire expires April 22. Iran's foreign ministry says it has no plans for new talks, accusing the U.S. of violating the ceasefire through its naval blockade. Under international law, a naval blockade in peacetime is generally prohibited; the U.S. justifies it under AUMF authority, but Congress has not authorized the war. The seizure comes three days before ceasefire expiration with no follow-on deal in sight.