Flare-up in Strait of Hormuz? Iran vows swift retaliation after US Navy blows ‘a hole in the engine room’ of cargo ship Touska

Fear of escalation looms over the region yet again after the Iranian military vowed a swift response to the US seizure of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The Islamic Republic's military headquarters said the attack and subsequent boarding of the Iranian-flagged vessel by US forces was a violation of the ceasefire.

The US Navy attacked and seized the cargo ship, which it said had tried to evade a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US says it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings.

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"Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them. The U.S. 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 engine room. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told his Pakistani counterpart that Washington's demands in negotiations and its threats to Iranian ships and ports mark "clear signs" of America's disingenuousness. Tehran further denounced the development as an act of piracy, Iran's state-run broadcaster said.

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This is another indication of how the Washington–Tehran standoff is sharpening as the ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday. It could also shake up plans for a new US–Iran round of talks in Islamabad this week.

According to US news reports, the Iranian state media—without citing anyone beyond unnamed sources—issued brief reports on Sunday suggesting the talks would not happen. These reports came before the US announcement of its seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz.