US Navy Attacks & Seizes Iranian Ship Near Hormuz

The U.S. Navy’s seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz marked a direct escalation to the fragile ceasefire as both sides intensify pressure through naval and economic measures.

The U.S. Central Command said a guided missile destroyer issued “repeated warnings over a six-hour period” before intercepting the vessel Touska in the Gulf of Oman.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the USS Spruance “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom.”

The nearly 900-foot vessel, described as weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, was then boarded by U.S. Marines, who now have custody.

The seizure is the first such interception since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began last week. It remains unclear whether there were casualties.

Iran’s joint military command condemned the boarding as an “act of piracy” and a violation of the ceasefire, according to state media.

The confrontation comes days before the truce is due to expire on Wednesday, narrowing the margin for de-escalation.

Iranian officials and state media also cast doubt on planned talks. An Iranian source told Al Jazeera that “we’re facing a deception by the enemy and we’re on the verge of a new round of escalation,” pointing to inconsistencies between U.S. statements and actions.

The United States had indicated negotiations would resume in Pakistan on Monday, following 21 hours of talks led by Vice President JD Vance alongside envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

However, Iranian officials signaled reluctance, citing “bad intentions and lack of seriousness in diplomacy,” according to state broadcaster accounts of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Two earlier rounds of talks - last June and earlier this year - were interrupted by military action, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic channels.

The seizure unfolded as hundreds of vessels remained queued near the strait, where roughly one-fifth of global oil trade passes. Iran has warned it will maintain control of transit routes, including fees and certification requirements, until the war - now in its eighth week since Feb. 28 - fully ends.

The conflict 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 states, alongside 13 U.S. service members.