The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by U.S. forces on Sunday (18 April), is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, maritime security sources said on Monday.
The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with U.S. sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1308 GMT, according to ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform.
The U.S. Central Command said Touska's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, and that the vessel was in violation of a U.S. blockade.
The security sources, who declined to be identified, said their initial assessments were the vessel was likely to be carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia.
The vessel had previously transported such items, one of the sources said.
They did not go into details on the items. U.S. Central Command has listed metals, pipes and electronic components among other goods that could have a military as well as an industrial use and could be captured.
Iran's foreign ministry said on Tuesday U.S. forces attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, the Touska, near its coast, condemning the incident as "unlawful and a violation" of international law, Iranian media said.
Iran demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors and their families, the ministry said, adding that the incident breached a ceasefire agreed this month and warning that Washington would be responsible for any further escalation.
Iran's military said the ship had been travelling from China and accused the U.S. of "armed piracy", according to state media on Monday. They said they were ready to confront U.S. forces over the "blatant aggression", but were constrained by the presence of crew members’ families on board.
Washington imposed sanctions on IRISL in late 2019, describing it as "the preferred shipping line for Iranian proliferators and procurement agents", which included transporting items intended for Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
The Touska's crew includes an Iranian captain and Iranian crew members, although it was not clear if the entire crew were Iranian nationals, one of the sources said.
IRISL ships are under the control of the Revolutionary Guards and their crew are typically made up mainly of Iranians and sometimes also use Pakistani seafarers, two other sources added.
The vessel was detected alongside at China’s Taicang port, which is north of Shanghai, on 25 March and arrived at China's southern Gaolan port on 29-30 March, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.
The vessel loaded containers onboard in Gaolan and then made a stop around the Port Klang anchorage in Malaysia on 11-12 April where it loaded further containers, according to SynMax analysis.
The vessel was laden with containers onboard when it reached the Gulf of Oman on Sunday.
China has expressed concern over the "forced interception" by the U.S. of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, urging relevant parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement in a responsible manner.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on the Truth Social platform on Sunday that the Touska was under U.S. sanctions due to its "prior history of illegal activity", adding that U.S. forces were "seeing what’s on board".
The U.S. military widened its shipping blockade on Iran to include cargoes deemed contraband and any vessels suspected of trying to reach Iranian territory will be "subject to belligerent right to visit and search", the U.S. navy said in an advisory on Thursday. Contraband included weapons and ammunition.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy...
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s effor...
China’s GJ-21 carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone has completed its first take-off and landing on board the Sichuan, the co...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Iran shot down a U.S. drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sunday (25 October), citing the country’s army.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia on Friday according to a report released by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Saturday.
The leader of Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced the beginning of a major military operation against the Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday, aimed at seizing the territory under their control.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Governments from the Persian Gulf to the Horn of Africa are hedging against a conflict they cannot control, with contingency plans beginning to reshape trade routes, alliances and the regional map.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment