Touska
Iranian container ship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MV Touska is a Panamax-sized container ship built in 2008 and sailed under the flag of Iran.[1]
MV Touska moments before its seizure | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Iran[1] | |
| Name | MV Touska |
| Owner | Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management |
| Port of registry | Qeshm |
| Builder | HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan[2] |
| Laid down | 2008[1] |
| Launched | 2008 |
| Completed | 2008 |
| In service | 2008-present |
| Home port | Qeshm |
| Identification | IMO number: 9328900[3] |
| Captured | 2026 |
| Fate | Seized by the United States Marine Corps in the Strait of Hormuz |
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Panamax |
| Tonnage | 66,432 tonnes[1] |
| Length | 295 meters[1] |
| Beam | 32 meters[1] |
| Draft | 12 meters[1] |
| Installed power | MAN B&W 9K90MC-C diesel @ 41000-50000 kW[4] |
| Speed | 16 to 20 kn |
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.
Grounding
The Touska ran aground on Nov 5, 2017, at 9.15 p.m. off Magazine Island near Hong Kong while enroute from Kaohsiung to Shenzhen.[5] The ship was traveling at 7.5 knots at the time of grounding but the crew of 28 was not injured.[5]
2026 Iran war
On April 19, 2026, as part of the naval blockade of Iran during the 2026 Iran war, the MV 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.[6] 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.[6] The United States Central Command asserted 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.[7]
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.[8]
The ship was under United States Treasury sanctions because of previous illegal activity according to President Donald Trump.[9][10]