President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday, which was attempting to circumvent a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports commenced last week. According to Trump, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.” He added that U.S. Marines had taken custody of the vessel, identified as the Touska, and were “seeing what’s on board!”
Iran offered no immediate comment. This development cast doubt on Trump’s earlier announcement that U.S. negotiators would travel to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran. That announcement had fueled hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire due to expire by Wednesday, though Iran had not confirmed its attendance. The escalating standoff threatened to exacerbate the energy crisis impacting the global economy and push the two nations towards renewed conflict. Previous fighting has resulted in at least 3,000 deaths in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 civilians and 15 soldiers in Israel, and over a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Additionally, thirteen U.S. service members have been killed.
**Iran’s Military Vows Swift Response to U.S. Seizure of Iranian-Flagged Tanker**
According to Iran’s state-run broadcaster, the Iranian military headquarters condemned the attack and subsequent boarding of the Iranian vessel by U.S. forces as a violation of the ceasefire and an act of “maritime piracy.” The United States, however, stated it fired upon and seized the ship because it had crossed the blockade line after disregarding multiple warnings.
**Iranian State Media Suggests New Talks Unlikely**
Iranian officials have not commented on Trump’s announcement regarding new talks in Pakistan this week. Nevertheless, Iranian state media, citing unnamed sources, issued brief reports on Sunday indicating that the talks would not proceed. These reports emerged prior to the U.S. announcement of its seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz.
**CENTCOM Releases Video of U.S. Firing on Iranian-Flagged Vessel Touska**
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a video on X showing a message sent by a U.S. Mariner to the Iranian-flagged tanker, depicting the moments before the U.S. seized the Touska for crossing the U.S.-imposed blockade line in the Gulf of Oman. The video features an audio warning: “Motor vessel Touska, Motor vessel Touska. Vacate your engine room. Vacate your engine room. We are about to subject you to disabling fire.” Subsequently, three rounds are fired, leaving a trail of smoke. CENTCOM stated that its fire targeted the vessel’s engine room before forces seized the ship. It further reported that the Touska was en route to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and disregarded multiple U.S. warnings over a six-hour period to evacuate the engine room. The USS Spruance then opened fire, after which Marines boarded and secured the ship. “American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance,” CENTCOM posted on X.
**Iran’s President Calls U.S. Blockade Actions Provocative and Illegal**
Iran’s judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported on President Masoud Pezeshkian’s phone conversation with Pakistan’s prime minister earlier today. The report states that Pezeshkian alleged bullying and unreasonable behavior by the United States during negotiations and the ceasefire. Pezeshkian reportedly warned that U.S. actions and threatening rhetoric have heightened suspicion among Iranian officials regarding the seriousness of the United States and the possibility of it repeating previous patterns and “betraying diplomacy.” The report did not specify whether Iran’s president commented on a second round of talks in Pakistan, or on Trump’s announcement that U.S. forces had seized an Iranian-flagged ship.
**French Shipping Company Says One of Its Ships Was Targeted**
CMA CGM announced Sunday that one of its vessels was subjected to warning shots. Trump, however, claimed Iran had fired on French and British ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed the involvement of a French-flagged vessel. The IMO, which regulates international shipping, reported 24 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and across the Middle East since March 1. The most recent, on April 18, involved the CMA CGM Everglade, a French-flagged container ship. The IMO stated it sustained damage north of Kumzar, Oman, though no pollution or injuries were reported. On Sunday, Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Iran had “fired bullets” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that “many of them were aimed at a French ship and a freighter from the United Kingdom.”
**Trump: U.S. Forcibly Seized Iranian-Flagged Cargo Ship Attempting to Circumvent Naval Blockade**
In a social media post, Trump stated that a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman warned the ship to stop, but it failed to comply. “Our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump wrote. He added that U.S. Marines had taken custody of the cargo ship, the Touska, and were “seeing what’s on board!” This seizure escalates the ongoing dispute with Iran over maritime traffic in the strait and occurs as the U.S. was preparing for a second round of in-person talks with Iran, with a fragile ceasefire set to expire in days.
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