Iran retaliated against the U.S. Navy after a U.S. merchant ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, according to the Tasnim news agency.

The Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced today that Iranian forces launched a series of drones targeting U.S. military vessels in the Gulf of Oman.

Iranian media reported that the attack was in response to the U.S. destroyer USS Spruance shelling and providing support for Marines landing and seizing the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska. "The Touska was intercepted while traveling innocently on its route from China to Iran," the news agency stated.

The Shahed UAV flies over the city of Kermanshah, Iran, in March 2024. Photo: AFP

Tasnim did not specify the scale of the retaliation, the number of UAVs used, or the specific targets of the attack.

The Iranian military and US officials have not commented on the information.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, the "supreme command" of the Iranian armed forces, previously condemned the seizure of the Touska. "The US has violated the ceasefire and committed acts of piracy against Iranian commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman. The Iranian armed forces will soon retaliate against the actions of the US military," the command stated.

According to US intelligence assessments cited by the New York Times last weekend, Iran still possesses sufficient military capabilities to threaten maritime activity in the Strait of Hormuz, despite significant damage to its arms industry in the conflict with the US and Israel.

U.S. officials estimate Iran's long-range UAV arsenal is at about 40% of its pre-conflict level. While these UAVs can be intercepted by warships, they are still considered a significant threat to commercial shipping. Iran maintained about half of its missile launchers at the time of the ceasefire, and subsequently restored approximately 100 more, achieving about 60% of its pre-conflict operational capacity.

The destroyer USS Spruance fired artillery at the Touska at sea on April 19. Video: CENTCOM

The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for the world's oil and gas supplies. The area has been almost completely closed off since the US and Israel launched an operation against Iran on February 28.

The US military began efforts on April 13 to block ships from entering and leaving Iranian ports, after negotiations in Pakistan two days earlier ended without results and Iran refused to reopen the crucial waterway.

On April 17, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but resumed its blockade just one day later in retaliation for the US-led port blockade.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declared that the US blockade of Iranian ports and coastlines not only violates the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, but is also "an illegal, criminal act and a collective punishment of the people."

The Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf region. Graphic: Guardian