The US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz escalated dramatically on Sunday when the US Navy fired on, disabled, and boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to bypass the American blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
The incident — the first kinetic seizure of an Iranian vessel in this conflict — prompted immediate threats of retaliation from Tehran and threw the planned Monday peace talks in Islamabad into serious doubt.
What Happened
President Trump said Sunday that US forces had seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the nearly 900-foot cargo vessel Touska was intercepted by the Navy destroyer USS Spruance in the Gulf of Oman after ignoring warnings to stop. He said the ship was disabled and boarded, and that US Marines now have custody of the vessel.
US Central Command confirmed the ship’s seizure, saying repeated warnings were issued over a six-hour period before action was taken. “American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance,” the command said.
Trump wrote that the USS Spruance intercepted the Touska in the Gulf of Oman. He said the ship’s crew “refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room.” He noted the Touska is under US Treasury sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity.”
Iran’s Response
The Iranian Military Headquarters said that the US had broken the ceasefire. “The aggressor America violated the ceasefire and maritime piracy by firing at an Iranian merchant ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman, disabling its navigation system, and landing a number of its terrorist marines on the deck of the vessel,” the statement said. The Iranian military said it would “soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Sunday that the US blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline is “an act of aggression that violates the Pakistani-mediated ceasefire.” He said that by “deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crime and crimes against humanity.”
What Preceded the Seizure
The Touska seizure came after a weekend of sharp escalation in the Hormuz standoff. Iran’s brief opening of the strait on Friday — which sent oil prices crashing 11% — reversed within 24 hours.
After briefly reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran again closed the vital economic waterway, saying it will restrict ships from passing through as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.
Trump accused Iran of firing on ships in the Strait on Saturday. “Many of them were aimed at a French ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling it “A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!”
What Comes Next
The ceasefire expires Wednesday, April 22. Iran has rejected Monday’s planned Islamabad talks. The US Navy now holds an Iranian vessel. Iran has promised retaliation. Oil has surged 7% back above $96 on Sunday following the incidents.
The window for diplomacy is narrowing by the hour.
