DUBAI, April 20 (Reuters) – The United States Navy has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman, prompting Iran to vow retaliation and rule out participation in a new round of peace talks.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the nearly 900-foot vessel Touska after issuing warnings over a six-hour period, according to U.S. Central Command. President Donald Trump said on social media that the Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” and that U.S. Marines had boarded and taken custody of the ship. The vessel had been returning from a Chinese chemical-storage port, though its cargo was not immediately confirmed.
Iran’s top joint military command accused Washington of violating a ceasefire agreement and warned that retaliation would follow. A spokesperson for the command called the U.S. action “armed piracy.” The ceasefire, agreed on April 7, is set to expire on April 22.
The seizure marks the first direct enforcement of a U.S.-led blockade on ships heading to or from Iranian ports. It follows Iran’s reimposition of restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, just one day after declaring the waterway “completely open” under the ceasefire.
About 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas normally passes through the strait. The standoff has sent oil prices soaring. Brent crude repeatedly passed $100 per barrel in March and rose about 7 percent to $96.88 on Sunday after the seizure.
Diplomacy Derailed
The White House had announced that U.S. negotiators would travel to Islamabad for a second round of peace talks on Monday. Vice President JD Vance was set to lead the delegation, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
But on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that Iran has “no plans for the next round of negotiations.” Baghaei also rejected U.S. demands that Iran transfer its enriched uranium stockpile abroad, saying that option has “never been on the table.”
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said there was “no clear prospect” for talks under current conditions, citing Washington’s “excessive and unrealistic demands,” constant shifts in stance, and the ongoing naval blockade.
Shipping at a Standstill
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle. London-based maritime analytics firm Windward reported that 35 outbound vessels reversed course after Iran reimposed control over the strait on Saturday. Some ships that attempted to transit came under fire and were forced to withdraw, according to reports.
A fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire is due to expire on Tuesday. It remains unclear whether the truce will be extended or whether talks in Islamabad will proceed. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran now considers a return to fighting more likely than continued diplomacy.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed concern over the U.S. seizure of the Touska on Monday, saying the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and unimpeded passage is a common interest of the international community.
The USS Spruance is a guided-missile destroyer, named for a World War II admiral, capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles and operating as part of carrier strike groups. The Touska is a nearly 900-foot cargo vessel that had previously docked in Malaysia and China before heading toward Iran.