MV Touska (Persian: توسکا, a tree) is a Panamax-sized container ship built in 2008 and sailed under the flag of Iran.
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 The Touska ran aground on 5 November 2017, at 9.15 p.m. off Magazine Island near Hong Kong while en route from Kaohsiung to Shenzhen. The ship was traveling at at the time of grounding but the crew of 28 was not injured.
2026 Iran war 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 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. While bound for Iran, it had previously stopped at a Chinese port known for the export of chemicals that could be used for rocket propellants. Spruance disabled Touskas propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45 gun into Touskas engine room. 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 Touskas 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.
In response, the Iranian government stated:Iran further claimed that the United States had violated the in-place ceasefire.
The ship was under United States Treasury sanctions because of previous illegal activity according to President Donald Trump.
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.
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