US turned back 27 ships after Hormuz blockade, seized Touska was first to evade restrictions

On April 20, US Central Command, shared a video on X informing the same.

The post read, “Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port.”

Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. pic.twitter.com/G8dl96wN4H

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

Touska was the first ship to evade blockade, says US 

When the Iranian cargo ship, Touska was seized, it was the first time that a vessel was reported to have tried to evade the US-imposed blockade on any ship entering or exiting Iranian ports since it took effect last week, reports the New York Times.

Speaking on the US blockade and the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a US military official told the New York Times that a team of Marines was searching and scanning a large number of containers aboard the Touska, an Iranian cargo ship that the US Navy had disabled and seized in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday after it tried to evade the blockade.

The fate of the seized Iranian vessel is not known yet. According to a report by the New York Times, American officials will soon determine what to do with the Iranian vessel once the search is complete. The US is considering towing the ship to Oman as one option or letting the Touska steam to any Iranian port. Speaking on the crew, the official informed them that they would be moved back to Iran soon.

“The message is out that most ships are not wanting to go out there,” Kevin Donegan, a retired vice admiral and former top Navy commander in the Middle East, said in an interview on Monday, says the NYT.

The Touska was one of “several vessels of interest” that US intelligence analysts have been monitoring in recent days, both inside and outside the blockade boundary, the US military official said, states the NYT.