27 Ships Turn Back After US Blockade in Strait... "Search Underway on Iranian Toska"

Since the U.S. military launched a maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iran-linked vessels, a total of 27 ships have turned back. The U.S. Marines are reportedly conducting a search operation aboard the Iranian merchant ship "Toska," which was seized by the U.S. military.

Logo of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

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On April 20 (local time), U.S. Central Command announced on social media platform X that 27 ships had turned back since the commencement of the maritime blockade near Iran, including the Strait of Hormuz. The post was accompanied by a video apparently taken from a helicopter at sea.

This operation began at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the 13th, following an order from President Donald Trump. It is a full-scale blockade that halts all vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastlines, serving as a "counter-blockade" in response to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States stated that no Iran-linked vessels have passed through the strait during this period. The previous day, the Iranian cargo ship Toska, which was en route to Bandar Abbas, refused to comply with an order to turn back, prompting the U.S. to disable its propulsion system and seize the vessel.

Currently, U.S. Marines are conducting a large-scale search operation aboard the Toska. According to The New York Times, a Marine team is searching through as many as 5,000 containers onboard. The course of action regarding the vessel will be determined after the search is complete. Experts have suggested that the ship could be towed to Oman or, if seaworthy, sent back to Iran. Another U.S. military official stated that the crew members of the Toska are expected to return to Iran soon.

The Toska had been under surveillance by the U.S. intelligence community even before the blockade, as it has operated between China and Iran for several years. Since 2018, it has reportedly been subject to U.S. State Department sanctions. A U.S. military official told The New York Times that the Toska was one of several vessels closely monitored by intelligence analysts since the start of the blockade.

The cargo currently on board the Toska has not been disclosed. However, The Washington Post, citing analysis of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data provided by global intelligence firm Kpler, reported that the Toska had loaded cargo at Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, southeastern China, and was returning. This port is known as a primary shipping site for chemicals related to Iran's missile program, such as sodium perchlorate.

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