Seized Iranian ship likely carrying equipment deemed dual-use by US, sources say

LONDON – The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces on April 19, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military on board, maritime security sources said on April 20.

The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with US sanctions, was boarded on April 19 off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1.08pm GMT (9.08pm Singapore time), according to ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform.

The US 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 US 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 items deemed as dual-use, one of the sources said.

The sources did not go into details on the items. US 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 April 21 US 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 in April 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 US of “armed piracy”, according to state media on April 20. They said they were ready to confront US 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 March 25 and arrived at China’s southern Gaolan port on March 29-30, 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 April 11-12 where it loaded further containers, according to SynMax analysis.

The vessel was laden with containers onboard when it reached the Gulf of Oman on April 19.

China has expressed concern over the “forced interception” by the US of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on April 20, urging relevant parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement in a responsible manner.

US President Donald Trump said in a post on the Truth Social platform on April 19 that the Touska was under US sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity”, adding that US forces were “seeing what’s on board”.

The US 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 US navy said in an advisory on April 16.

Contraband included weapons and ammunition. REUTERS