This screenshot from a video published on April 19 depicts the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel M/V Touska alongside the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Spruance in the northern Arabian Sea. CENTCOM/Press Release/Reuters
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Sunday, the US military opened fire on and captured the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel.the M/V Touska, which was attempting to evade a US blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
What will happen to the vessel now?
Naval specialists stated the Touska will be moved to a harbor or anchorage for examination.
After that is completed and its cargo identified, they mentioned it could ultimately be claimed by the US government as a “prize.”
“According to naval warfare laws, you are permitted to seize a ship in situations where it attempts to breach a blockade,” Jennifer Parker, a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute and ex-Royal Australian Navy officer, informed Xenix News.
MarineTraffic data indicates that the Touska had frequently traveled between the Chinese city of Zhuhai and several Iranian ports in recent years and has been under sanctions since 2018.
MarineTraffic reported that the Touska is “laden,” but did not detail the specifics of its cargo.
Parker stated that if Washington “decides to retain it long-term, it will have to undergo a prize court, which must be set up.”
“It can be regarded as a ‘spoils of war,’” similar to any adversary combatant or resources taken from an opponent during armed conflict, stated Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain and analyst based in Hawaii.
Regarding the destiny of Touska’s crew, it would be influenced by their nationalities, Parker stated.
“If the sailors were Indian or Filipino, I would assume the crew would simply be removed from the ship and sent back home.”
Parker stated that if the crew members are Iranian, they might be detained, and if there are members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on board, they could potentially be treated as prisoners of war.
She stated that if the Touska were transporting any weapons or munitions for Iran, the crew would probably be apprehended.
Xenix News has requested a statement from CENTCOM regarding the crew’s nationality and the ship’s condition.
Xenix News reporting contributed by Teele Rebane.
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