On April 19, 2026, the USS Spruance (DDG 111) fired its 5-inch MK 45 gun at the engine room of the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel Touska in the Strait of Hormuz, disabling its propulsion, after which US Marines rappelled from a helicopter to board the ship following a six-hour standoff. CENTCOM confirmed the ship had been attempting to transit from the Arabian Sea to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. This is the first direct kinetic enforcement of the US-led Strait of Hormuz blockade that began April 13, 2026 in response to Iran's blockade closure. The operation marks the transition of US activity from deterrence to active interdiction at a chokepoint carrying roughly 20% of global oil and LNG trade.
Within hours, Iran announced it would not send negotiators to the Islamabad peace talks and threatened retaliation; oil prices jumped. Al Jazeera reported the seizure had occurred amid active mediation efforts. The Iran conflict has been waged without congressional authorization under Article I, Section 8; the Senate's March 4, 2026 vote on a war powers resolution to require the withdrawal of forces failed 47-53. The April 2, 2026 US intelligence assessment concluded Iran retains roughly half its missile launchers after five weeks of strikes — suggesting the blockade is now the primary coercive instrument rather than a supplement to successful disarmament. The ceasefire that was announced on Day 39 (April 7) is now effectively ended.