US destroyer disables Iranian cargo ship’s engine with gunfire in blockade incident

The USS Spruance fired warning shots and nine inert rounds into an Iranian-flagged vessel’s engine room after it ignored repeated orders to turn back.

A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer used controlled gunfire to disable the engine of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship after the vessel ignored repeated warnings to turn around, according to new details shared by senior military leadership.

The incident occurred as the United States expanded maritime enforcement tied to a blockade aimed at restricting traffic to and from Iranian ports.. At a Joint Chiefs of Staff briefing, Air Force Gen.. Dan Caine described it as a rare use of force against a non-combat vessel—an outcome that underscores how quickly a tense maritime operation can narrow from signaling to escalation.

Caine said the U.S.. began launching the blockade earlier this month, and that American forces directed 34 ships to turn back.. But one cargo vessel, the M/V Touska, did not comply.. The ship was traveling through the north Arabian Sea toward Iran’s Bandar Abbas when it was intercepted by the destroyer USS Spruance. starting around 4 a.m.. Eastern time.

According to the briefing, the Spruance issued multiple warnings over a prolonged period.. For roughly six hours. the crew communicated that the ship was violating the blockade and repeatedly directed it to reverse course.. Caine said the Touska continued to ignore those warnings even as the U.S.. carried out a planned escalation sequence.

Eventually, the Navy moved from warnings to disabling action.. Caine said the destroyer executed “preplanned, carefully calibrated escalation options,” including firing five warning shots.. When the vessel still did not comply, U.S.. commanders authorized “disabling fire.” The Spruance then warned the Touska’s crew to abandon the engine room before firing nine “inert rounds” from its 5-inch MK 45 gun into that compartment.

The choice of “inert” rounds is part of what makes the episode noteworthy.. The MK 45 deck gun is designed to fire different ammunition types. and an inert round approach is intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic damage while still achieving a specific operational goal: stopping propulsion.. The tactical aim. Caine’s account indicates. is to enable boarding and custody with less danger to crews than an exchange meant to destroy the vessel outright.

Within hours of the gunfire, U.S.. Marines were able to reach the Touska by helicopter, then board the ship by rappelling onto the deck.. The operation resulted in American forces taking the vessel and crew into custody—an end state that suggests the Navy’s blockade enforcement is not only about deterrence. but also about establishing control when a ship refuses to comply.

The Touska episode did not take place in isolation.. U.S.. enforcement efforts are extensive, involving more than 17 Navy warships and over 100 aircraft supporting operations in the region.. The blockade itself began April 13 and is designed to limit oil revenue that Tehran relies on amid a strained domestic economy.

There is also a wider operational context stretching beyond the blockade lanes.. The U.S.. is conducting a separate effort to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz. and officials say that Tehran likely placed additional mines near or in the strategic waterway during the conflict.. In parallel. President Donald Trump said he ordered the Navy to destroy any boat—including Iranian fast-attack boats—that lays mines in the Strait. signaling an expansive posture toward threats in the same corridor.

For U.S.. sailors, mariners, and the shipping industry, these developments can carry practical consequences that go beyond headlines.. When enforcement escalates to disabling action. the risks to crew safety. onboard equipment. and commercial timetables rise sharply—especially in busy shipping areas where ships may be operating under complex paperwork. insurance rules. and payment arrangements tied to sanctioned or disputed routes.

The political and strategic stakes are also clear.. With a blockade running alongside mine-clearing operations and additional U.S.. strike group activity entering the area of responsibility for U.S.. Central Command, the United States is effectively combining economic pressure with maritime security measures.. In an environment where Washington and Tehran remain engaged in a tense. fragile posture. incidents like the Touska boarding can harden perceptions on both sides and shape how future encounters unfold at sea.