Summary of this article
The United States attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first interception since the U.S. naval blockade began last week.
Iran’s joint military command called the boarding a “violation of the ceasefire” and an “act of piracy,” vowing retaliation as the fragile truce nears expiry.
The escalation has pushed oil prices higher and cast uncertainty over fresh US-Iran talks, with the ceasefire set to end on Wednesday.
The United States attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship it said had tried to evade its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, and Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond, throwing a fragile ceasefire into question days before it expires.
Since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports started last week, this was the first interception. According to the official media, Iran's unified military command described the armed boarding as a violation of the ceasefire and an act of piracy.
It was unclear where President Donald Trump's earlier announcement of fresh negotiations with Iran stood given the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict over the strait and the ceasefire's expiration on Wednesday. He had stated that on Monday, American negotiators will travel to Pakistan.
The uncertainty sent oil prices rising again. One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen.
Trump on social media said a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman warned the Iranian-flagged ship, the Touska, to stop and then “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.” U.S. Marines had custody of the U.S.-sanctioned vessel and were “seeing what’s on board!”
It was not clear whether anyone was hurt. The U.S. Central Command, which didn’t answer questions, said the destroyer had issued “repeated warnings over a six-hour period.”
Iran’s state broadcaster reported that the country’s military denounced the U.S. action as “maritime piracy” and said that “Iran will respond soon.”
With inputs from AP
