US military seizes Iran-flagged ship trying to pass strait of Hormuz blockade

The US military took custody of an Iranian-flagged container ship that attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump announced on Sunday, leading Tehran to accuse him of violating the fragile ceasefire between the countries.

In a social media post, Trump said that an “Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA” tried to get past the US naval blockade, “and it did not go well for them”.

Trump said that a US navy guided missile destroyer had warned the Touska to stop in the Gulf of Oman, but the vessel did not. “[Our] Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump said, adding that US marines now have custody of the vessel.

“The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity,” Trump added. The ship is on the treasury department’s list of sanctioned vessels.

Iran’s military vowed to respond and accused the United States of having “violated the ceasefire” that has been in place since 8 April.

“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.

Iranian state media also reported that Tehran had rejected new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, threatening rhetoric, and Washington’s shifting positions and “excessive demands”.

Video posted on social media by the US defense department later showed the interception of the ship by US forces. The video includes audio of the container ship’s crew being warned that they will be fired on if they refused to stop. “Vacate your engine room,” a US sailor can be heard saying. “We’re prepared to subject you to disabling fire.”

The video then shows the USS Spruance firing on the Touska.

The cargo ship was stopped near Iran’s border with Pakistan, and is more than 900ft long, according to the tracking website Marine Traffic.

The Iranian government has not yet commented.

The latest military action by the US raises new questions about the possibility of extending a ceasefire between the two warring nations.

Trump had previously announced that US officials would be headed to Pakistan on Monday for more talks with Iranian leaders about the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.

Touska had previously left Port Klang, a major port in Malaysia, when the vessel then attempted to move past the US blockade, according to tracking information from TankerTrackers.com.

The Guardian wp:paragraph