The US Navy has intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement by US president,, Donald Trump on Truth Social.
Trump reported that the vessel was intercepted after it allegedly attempted to breach a US naval blockade. According to Trump, the ship failed to respond to multiple warnings to stop, leading the US Navy to disable the vessel by firing on its engine room.
US Marines subsequently boarded and took full custody of the nearly 900-foot vessel, which the President noted was already under US Treasury sanctions for a history of illegal activity.
This seizure has placed a fragile, Pakistan-mediated ceasefire under immediate threat. The two-week truce, which followed five weeks of intense conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, is currently scheduled to expire this Wednesday.
Tehran has condemned the incident as an “act of armed piracy” and a direct violation of the ceasefire terms. A spokesperson for Iran’s military headquarters warned that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic would soon retaliate for the boarding and disabling of their commercial vessel.
The escalation comes just as a US delegation, led by Vice-President JD Vance and including advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, was set to arrive in Islamabad for a second round of peace negotiations.
While Pakistan has been actively coordinating between the two nations, Iranian state media has since denied that a second round of talks is currently planned.
Officials in Tehran indicated they will not participate in negotiations as long as the US naval blockade remains in place, further complicating diplomatic efforts to prevent a return to full-scale hostilities.
Global energy prices have already seen a sharp increase as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and tensions in the region intensify.
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