Iranian Cargo Ship Intercepted, Fired Upon and Seized by US Military After Departing from Zhuhai Gaolan Port

On the 19th, the US Navy opened fire to intercept the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, with Marine Corps personnel boarding and seizing the vessel. Ship tracking data shows that the TOUSKA had departed from Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, bound for Iran, and was intercepted approximately 48 kilometers south of Iran.

US President Trump wrote on social media: “We have completely taken control of the ship and are checking what items are on board!”

The TOUSKA is operated by the Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which the US accuses of procuring materials for Iran’s ballistic missile program and labels as the preferred shipping company for Iran’s nuclear proliferation agents and procurement networks. The company is under US, UK, and EU sanctions.

The TOUSKA can carry around 4,800 20-foot containers and had previously returned fully loaded from Zhuhai City’s Gaolan Port.

US media cited experts saying Gaolan Port is a known handling facility for chemicals, including sodium perchlorate, a key precursor for solid rocket fuel used in Iran’s missile program. It is currently unclear what cargo the TOUSKA was carrying.

An American official stated that US forces had been preparing for several days for a possible seizure operation.