Iranian Military Claims Drone Attack on U.S. Warship in Retaliation for Vessel Seizure

The Iranian military attacked a U.S. warship using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to reports from Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency and other outlets on April 19 (local time).

The Iranian Army's joint combat headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya, which oversees military operations, claimed through its spokesperson that it struck the U.S. warship in response to the United States' seizure of an Iranian vessel.

Ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

However, the U.S. military has not commented on Iran's claim of striking a U.S. warship. Therefore, it is not confirmed whether the Iranian military actually attacked a U.S. warship with a drone. Tasnim News Agency is known as an outlet representing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which wields influence over end-of-war negotiations between the United States and Iran.

According to the U.S. Central Command and others, on this day, the U.S. military fired naval guns and seized an Iranian merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman.

Previously, regarding the seizure of the Iranian merchant ship, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the social networking service Truth Social, "The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer Spruance issued a legitimate warning to block and stop the Tuskah (an Iranian cargo ship) in the Gulf of Oman, but the Iranian crew did not comply. Our Navy warship fired into the engine room to make it stop," adding, "The U.S. Marines are now holding the ship and are checking what is inside."

U.S. Central Command stated that after the ship ignored U.S. warnings for six hours, the crew was ordered to evacuate the engine room, after which naval guns were fired and the U.S. Navy boarded and took control of the vessel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.