US Military Helicopters Air-Drop to Seize Iranian Cargo Ship; Shocking Footage Released; Trump Claims Engine Room Blown Open

WASHINGTON, April 20 (CNA) -- US Central Command today released video footage showing US Marines descending by helicopter onto a cargo ship flying the Iranian flag and seizing it. US President Trump stated that the US military blew a hole in the ship's engine room.

According to the Israeli news website Ynetnews, the CENTCOM video shows US Marines taking off from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and descending by rope onto the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA.

Indian English television channel "WION" reported that the ship was en route to Bandar Abbas Port, Iran, when it was intercepted by the US military in the northern Arabian Sea.

CENTCOM posted on social media platform X that the ship failed to comply with multiple US warnings over a six-hour period. Subsequently, the USS Spruance destroyer disabled the ship's propulsion system, and Marines boarded it via rope.

Trump stated yesterday on his social media platform Truth Social that an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempted to break through a US Navy blockade but was unsuccessful. He identified the ship as TOUSKA, approximately 900 feet long, with a displacement equivalent to an aircraft carrier.

He added that the US issued sufficient warnings for the ship to stop, but it did not comply. Therefore, US Navy vessels directly intercepted it and blew a hole in its engine room. (Translator: Chen Cheng-chien) 1150420

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