The US announced it had intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship as part of its naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
The move came hours after US President Donald Trump said he was sending his envoys to Islamabad for potential peace talks with Iran, raising concerns over the fragile ceasefire as Tehran vowed to retaliate.
Seizing Iranian Ship
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump announced that the US Navy had intercepted an Iranian-flagged vessel named Touska for trying to evade the naval blockade.
“The US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” he wrote.
“Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel. 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.
US Marines Boarding Vessel
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the interception of the ship as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas after multiple 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,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
It added that US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the Iranian-flagged vessel, which remains in US custody.
U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026
Moreover, CENTCOM published a video footage showing US Marines leaving amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli by helicopter and boarding the Touska ship.
Iranian Retaliation
Saying that the ship was travelling from china, Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire, set to expire on Tuesday, and vowed retaliation.
The spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said that the US, in violation of the ceasefire, “opened fire on one of Iran’s commercial vessels in the waters of the Sea of Oman, disabled its navigation system, and boarded it” by “deploying” Marines.
“We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate for this act of armed piracy by the US Navy,” he vowed in a statement carried by Iranian state media.
Islamabad Talks
Earlier on Sunday, Trump accused Iran of violating the two-week ceasefire by firing on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he was sending his representatives to Pakistan for a new round of talks in Islamabad on Monday, threatening of severe consequences if Tehran did not accept the US-proposed deal.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he posted on Truth Social.
“If they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” he added.
Despite Trump stating to US media outlets that Vice President JD Vance will not attend the talks for security reasons, the White House later confirmed that Vance will lead the American delegation, alongside Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Tehran Rejects Talks
Although Iranian officials have not commented on Trump’s announcement regarding a new round of talks, Iranian state media suggested negotiations would not take place.
According to Tasnim News Agency, citing unnamed sources, Iran has not decided to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan “as long as there is a naval blockade” on Iranian ports.
Later, Iran’s state news agency IRNA said that there is no clear prospect of fruitful negotiations, citing the US blockade, excessive demands, and threatening rhetoric.
In a phone call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, earlier on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that US actions, including bullying and unreasonable behavior, have led to increased suspicion that Washington will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy.”
Similarly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, that recent US actions, rhetoric and contradictions were signs of “bad intentions and lack of seriousness in diplomacy.”
However, Pakistan has begun preparations for a potential second round of talks by tightening security in Islamabad.
