Amid worsening tensions between Iran and the US, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Track updates on Iran US war
Pezeshkian told Sharif that US actions, including bullying and unreasonable behavior, have led to increased suspicion that the US will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy,” the Associated Press reported, citing Iranian state media.
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As the talks remain stalled and ceasefire deadline inches closer, tensions flared in the Middle East over the weekend after the US Navy fired upon and boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. This is the first time in this war that started on February 28 that a vessel has been seized in the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said that that USS Spruance, a guided missile destroyer gave the vessel a “fair warning” to stop but when the Iranian crew didn’t listen, the ship stopped them by “blowing a hole in the engine room”.
According to the US President, the Iranian ship, Touska, was nearly 900 feet long and weighed almost “as much as an aircraft carrier”. Following the interception, Touska is now under the US Marines custody.
“The TOUSKA is under US Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!,” Trump said in a Truth Social Post.
According to Marinetraffic.com, Touska is container ship that was sailing under the Iranian flag. As of six hours ago, its position was in the Arabian Gulf.
After Trump announced the interception of the vessel, Iran vowed retaliation. “We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,” said a spokesperson for the military’s central command centre, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency.
