Fact Check: Does viral video show US Marines capturing Iranian vessel?
STRAIT OF HORMUZ, PERSIAN GULF: Following the reported capture of an Iranian cargo ship by United States forces, a video began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show the armed operation that led to the vessel’s seizure.
The clip has gone viral, raising questions about its authenticity. Let us analyze the video and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Video shows US Marines seizing Iranian ship
Following an announcement by President Donald Trump about disabling an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to break the American blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, a video began circulating online claiming to show the operation that led to the ship being taken into US custody.
The video shows armed soldiers with guns, claimed to be US Marines, handcuffing people on board the ship and forcing them to lie on the ground.
The 53-second clip has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and has been amplified by multiple accounts on X.
Fact Check: False, video from India-Seychelles military exercise
However, the video is not related to the recent capture of an Iranian cargo ship.
A reverse image search of key frames from the video traced it back to a clip from March this year, showing a joint military exercise conducted by the Indian armed forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) in Seychelles.
According to reports, the 11th edition of the joint military exercise ‘LAMITIYE 2026’ was conducted in Seychelles from March 9 to 20 by the Indian armed forces and the SDF.
The video was shared with a caption stating, “Strengthening partnerships across the seas. The 11th edition of Joint Military Exercise LAMITIYE 2026, held in #Seychelles from 09–20 March 2026, brought together the Indian Armed Forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) in a shared commitment to security and cooperation..."
Trump claims US Navy disabled an Iranian ship
The video surfaced after Trump claimed the Navy “blew a hole in the engine room” after the crew ignored warnings, marking another sharp escalation in the standoff with Tehran.
According to Trump, the vessel identified as the TOUSKA was intercepted in the Gulf of Oman by the USS Spruance after attempting to push through the blockade zone.
“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump wrote. “The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump added.
