N. Prabhakaran Dubai: Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated once again after the US Navy fired upon and seized an Iranian-fl...
N. Prabhakaran
Dubai: Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated once again after the US Navy fired upon and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. Iran stated that the attack on the vessel is a violation of the ceasefire agreement and declared it would immediately retaliate against this "armed piracy." Consequently, Iran has withdrawn from the second round of peace talks that were scheduled to take place in Islamabad.
This marks the first seizure of a ship as part of the US-imposed blockade on Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump stated that the ship, named 'Tooska,' was seized after it failed to respond to warnings from American forces.
According to the US Central Command, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Tooska while it was en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran. Central Command announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the ship had been repeatedly warned that it was in violation of US sanctions.
"After the crew of the Tooska ignored repeated warnings issued over six hours, the Spruance ordered the engine room to be vacated. Subsequently, shots were fired from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 gun, disabling the ship's engine. US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit then boarded and took control of the vessel. The ship is now in US custody," Central Command clarified. They also released a video of the ship's seizure.
"An Iranian cargo ship, nearly 900 feet long and as heavy as an aircraft carrier, tried to bypass our naval blockade, but it didn't work out for them. The ship was seized and the engine room destroyed," President Donald Trump later posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane, remained closed on Monday. Although Iran had initially stated over the weekend that ships could pass through, they completely blocked traffic within 24 hours. One-fifth of the world's oil supply passes through Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran officially announced that it has no plans to participate in the scheduled second round of talks with the United States. This response from Tehran came shortly after President Donald Trump directed his representatives to travel to Pakistan for negotiations, with the Middle East ceasefire agreement set to expire on April 22.
"The news circulating regarding a second round of talks in Islamabad is false," stated IRNA, Iran's official news agency. IRNA blamed America’s "excessive demands, irrational expectations, frequent shifts in stance, the naval blockade violating the ceasefire, and threatening rhetoric" as obstacles to the progress of the talks. Tehran also accused Washington of spreading propaganda to pressure Iran.
Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, harshly criticized the US Navy's attack on the Iranian vessel. "You cannot pretend to practice 'diplomacy' while violating international laws, intensifying sanctions, and threatening to commit war crimes. The crisis will continue as long as the naval blockade remains," he posted on X.
Iran maintains the position that there will be no talks without the removal of American sanctions. Only two days remain until the expiration of the ceasefire agreement, which had brought a temporary lull to the conflict that began following an unexpected US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.
Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire. However, he expressed hope that a peace deal could still be reached. "We are proposing a respectful deal, and I think they will accept it," Trump said. But he reiterated his threat to destroy Iran's infrastructure if a deal is not reached.
The White House has confirmed that a team including Vice President J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will be sent to Pakistan for the talks. Trump had told the media that he was optimistic about the discussions and that a draft of the agreement was ready. It was in the midst of these developments that Iran announced its withdrawal from the talks.
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