Watch: US Marines rappel onto Iranian vessel TOUSKA after six hours of ignored warnings

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday shared a video showing American Marines rappelling from a helicopter onto an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, TOUSKA, moments after US naval forces disabled the ship following a prolonged standoff in the Arabian Sea.

The visuals capture the final phase of a six-hour operation in which US forces tracked, warned and ultimately seized the vessel after it failed to comply with repeated instructions.

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“U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from U.S. forces over a six-hour period,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

According to the command, the operation followed multiple warnings issued to the vessel, which were ignored over several hours. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance had earlier intercepted the ship and disabled its propulsion before Marines moved in to board it.

The incident comes at a sensitive time, with tensions between Washington and Tehran running high despite a fragile ceasefire in place since early April. Key shipping routes in the region, particularly near the Strait of Hormuz, have remained under close watch amid fears of escalation.

The US says the move was meant to keep shipping lanes secure and make the vessel follow the rules in international waters.