The San Diego-based destroyer USS Spruance on Sunday attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that was trying to dodge the naval blockade the U.S. imposed in the Strait of Hormuz region, according to a statement issued by President Donald Trump.
A “ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted rthe TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s aboard.”
Trump did not indicate whether the Spruance — which prevented a different cargo ship from evading the blockade last week — fired its 5-inch gun or used a missile to attack the Touska.
The 509-foot Spruance is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is part of the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group — a task force that helped lead the attack on Iran when the U.S.-Iran war started on Feb. 28. The Spruance used Tomahawk cruise missiles during the early days of the war.
In November 2024, the USS Spruance and another San Diego-based destroyer, the USS Stockdale, repelled missile and drone attacks launched against the warships by Iran-backed Houthis during an incident in the Red Sea, according to the Pentagon. The incident occurred while the Spruance and Stockdale were serving as escort ships for the carrier Lincoln.
Another San Diego destroyer, the USS Pinkney, also is part of the Lincoln strike group.
Burke destroyers are referred to as the workhorse of the Navy because of their speed, versatility, and ability to wage war with everything from guns to long-range Tomahawks to anti-ship missiles.