US seizes Iranian ship trying to breach naval blockade near Strait of Hormuz

The US Navy has seized an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Oman, escalating tensions and raising concerns about the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump said the United States forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

Trump on social media said the ship was warned by a US Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman to stop, but it did not.

He said the Navy 'stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room' and that US Marines had custody of the vessel, named Touska, and were 'seeing what's on board!'

Iran Confirms Seizure

Iran's Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters confirmed the US attack on the Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman, according to a statement carried by the state news agency Tasnim.

'The aggressive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran's commercial ships in the waters of the Sea of Oman by firing upon it and disabling its navigation system by deploying several of its terrorist marines on the deck of the mentioned vessel,' the statement said, confirming that the ship had been seized.

The statement also warned of a response from Tehran.

'We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,' it added.

Vessel Failed to Comply with Warnings: CENTCOM

Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) also said the American forces had intercepted Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, Touska, in the Arabian Sea for allegedly violating a US naval blockade.

'TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19,' CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

It said the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the vessel while it was heading towards Bandar Abbas.

'The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel that it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,' the statement read.

According to CENTCOM, the vessel failed to comply with repeated warnings.

'After Touska's crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska's propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer's 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska's engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,' it added.

The US command said the action was carried out in a 'deliberate, professional, and proportional manner' and noted that since the blockade began, 25 commercial vessels had been directed to turn around.

Iran Rejects Second Round of Talks

The news threw into question Trump's earlier announcement that US negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran.

That had raised hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran remain in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

However, Iran has has rejected claims that it has agreed to participate in the second round of peace talks.

Al Jazeera reported, citing the IRNA news agency, which criticised what it described as 'Washington's excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire'.

'The published news about the second round of negotiations in Islamabad is not true,' it said, adding that 'the news published by the United States is their media game and part of the 'blame game' to pressure Iran'.

Earlier, the White House said Vice President J D Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks over 21 hours last weekend, would lead the US delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States.

Strait Of Hormuz Blockade Fuels Global Energy Crisis

Ships remain unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and a US blockade on ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Hundreds of vessels were waiting at each end for clearance.

One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertiliser for the world's farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan.

Iranian officials earlier on Sunday held firm that ships would not pass while the US blockade remained in effect.

"It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot," Qalibaf said.

In his post about talks, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships transiting the strait. Iran has called the US blockade a violation, and foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Sunday called it an "act of aggression."

Iran had announced the strait's reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But Iran said it would continue enforcing its restrictions there after Trump said the US blockade 'will remain in full force' until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States.

After a brief uptick in transit attempts on Saturday, Iran fired on two Indian-flagged merchant ships that were forced to turn around, leading India to summon Iran's ambassador over the 'serious incident'.

India noted that Iran earlier let several India-bound ships through.

Iran's Strategy And The Impact On The US

For the Islamic Republic, the strait's closure -- imposed after the US and Israel launched the Iran war on February 28 during talks over Tehran's nuclear programme -- is perhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump.

For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran's already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.

The war -- now in its eighth week -- has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members throughout the region have been killed.

Since most supplies to US military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, "Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends," Iran's Supreme National Security Council said late Saturday.

That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The council has recently acted as Iran's de facto top decision-making body.

Diplomatic Efforts To Resolve US-Iran Standoff

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who spoke by phone with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, has said his country is working to 'bridge' differences between the US and Iran.

Pakistan later said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone for 45 minutes with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday told The Associated Press that the US is 'risking the whole ceasefire package' with its blockade.

Khatibzadeh said Iran will not hand over its stock of 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea 'a non-starter'.

The deputy minister did not address other proposals for the enriched uranium, saying only that 'we are ready to address any concerns'.

The seizure of the Iranian ship could further complicate India's energy imports, as a significant portion of its oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

India has been trying to balance its relationship with both the US and Iran amidst increasing geopolitical tensions.

The incident may also impact ongoing discussions regarding the Chabahar port project.

-- with inputs from ANI