Jump to content

Touska

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MV Touska before its seizure
History
Iran[1]
NameTouska
OwnerRahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management
Port of registryQeshm
BuilderHD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan[2]
Laid down2008[1]
Launched2008
Completed2008
In service2008
Home portQeshm
IdentificationIMO number: 9328900
Captured2026
FateSeized by the United States Marine Corps in the Strait of Hormuz
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypePanamax container ship
Tonnage66,432 t (65,383 long tons; 73,229 short tons)[1]
Length295 m (967 ft 10 in)[1]
Beam32 m (105 ft 0 in)[1]
Draft12 m (39 ft 4 in)[1]
Installed powerMAN B&W 9K90MC-C diesel at 41,000–50,000 kW (55,000–67,000 hp)[3]
Speed16 to 20 kn (30 to 37 km/h; 18 to 23 mph)

MV Touska (Persian: توسکا, a tree) is a Panamax-sized container ship built in 2008 and sailed under the flag of Iran.[1]

In April 2026, as part of the naval blockade of Iran during the 2026 Iran war, the vessel was fired-on, disabled, and seized by the United States. It was also involved in an accident in November 2017 when it ran aground.

Grounding

[edit]

The Touska ran aground on 5 November 2017, at 9.15 p.m. off Magazine Island near Hong Kong while enroute from Kaohsiung to Shenzhen.[4] The ship was traveling at 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) at the time of grounding but the crew of 28 was not injured.[4]

2026 Iran war

[edit]

On 19 April 2026, as part of the naval blockade of Iran during the 2026 Iran war, the Touska was fired upon by the destroyer USS Spruance and seized by US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit after the vessel refused to stop in the north Arabian Sea en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran.[5] Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45 gun into Touska's engine room.[5] The United States Central Command claimed that the vessel was subject to multiple warnings; including one advising the crew to evacuate the engine room, that the Touska's crew had "failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period", and released a video documenting at least part of the alleged warnings.[6]

In response, the Iranian government stated:

"'We warn that the Armed Forces of the ⁠Islamic Republic of Iran ⁠will soon respond ⁠and ⁠retaliate against this armed piracy by the U.S. military[...]"

Iran further claimed that the United States had violated the in-place ceasefire.[7]

The ship was under United States Treasury sanctions because of previous illegal activity according to President Donald Trump.[8][9]

In May 2026, 22 crew members were transferred from the vessel into Pakistani custody as part of confidence-building measures between the United States and Iran. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international reports, the transfer involved coordination between both countries, with Pakistan acting as a facilitator. The crew were later repatriated to Iran via Pakistan.[10][11][12]

  • USS Spruance fires on Touska
  • United States Marines leave the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and board Touska on 19 April 2026.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "TOUSKA Container / Panamax, IMO 9328900". Maritime Optima. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  2. ^ https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9328900
  3. ^ https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9328900
  4. ^ a b "TOUSKA". Vessel Tracker. Vessel Tracker GmbH. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Forces Disable Vessel Attempting to Enter Iranian Port, Violate Blockade". Defence Visual Information Distribution Service. US Department of War. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  6. ^ Downs, Garrett (19 April 2026). "U.S. struck, seized Iranian-flagged ship Touska in Gulf of Oman, Trump says". CNBC. Versant. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. U.S. Central Command later Sunday released a video of a Spruance crew member warning the Touska in a radio transmission, "We're prepared to subject you to disabling fire." The Spruance then fired several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch MK gun into the Touska's engine room after warning the ship's crew to evacuate that room, according to a post on X by Central Command. That post said the Touska's crew "failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period."
  7. ^ "Iran vows retaliation after accusing U.S. of 'armed piracy' amid duelling blockades". The Associated Press via the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 April 2026. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, accused the U.S. of violating a ceasefire by firing at one of Iran's commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman, vowing to retaliate. State media quoted a Khatam al-Anbiya spokesperson as saying early on Monday that the vessel was en route from China to Iran. 'We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the U.S. military,' the spokesperson said.
  8. ^ Staff, ToI (19 April 2026). "Trump says US took control of Iranian cargo ship that tried to break blockade" – via www.timesofisrael.com.
  9. ^ Oladipo, Gloria (19 April 2026). "US military seized Iranian-flagged container ship, Trump says" – via The Guardian.
  10. ^ Magee, Caolán. "US releases Touska container ship crew: Why it matters". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  11. ^ "US hands seized Iranian ship, crew to Pakistan amid Hormuz tensions - report". Arab News. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  12. ^ "US evacuates 22 crew members on seized Iranian ship to Pakistan".
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Touska&oldid=1353123256"