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Iran Threatens Retaliation After U.S. Seizes Cargo Vessel
(MENAFN) Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated sharply Monday as Tehran's top military command vowed imminent retaliation following a confrontation at sea that left an Iranian commercial vessel boarded, disabled, and in American hands — while Iran simultaneously pulled out of a second round of nuclear peace talks.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued the warning through a state broadcaster, declaring the country will "soon respond" to what it characterized as U.S. "armed maritime piracy" — after American forces allegedly opened fire on the Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, knocked out its navigation systems, and stormed the vessel with armed commandos.
Tehran claimed its forces struck back immediately. According to media, Iran launched drone strikes against U.S. warships in the area, compelling American forces to withdraw.
Washington offered a starkly different account. Speaking Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to circumvent a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room," Trump said, adding that U.S. Marines had taken custody of the vessel.
The maritime confrontation unfolded alongside a significant diplomatic rupture. Iran's official news agency reported Sunday that Tehran has refused to participate in a second round of peace negotiations with Washington — talks that were reportedly set to convene in Pakistan in the coming days.
The dual developments — a military standoff at sea and the collapse of diplomatic momentum — mark a dangerous inflection point in U.S.-Iran relations, with both sides hardening their positions even as the international community watches the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors, with growing unease.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued the warning through a state broadcaster, declaring the country will "soon respond" to what it characterized as U.S. "armed maritime piracy" — after American forces allegedly opened fire on the Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, knocked out its navigation systems, and stormed the vessel with armed commandos.
Tehran claimed its forces struck back immediately. According to media, Iran launched drone strikes against U.S. warships in the area, compelling American forces to withdraw.
Washington offered a starkly different account. Speaking Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to circumvent a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room," Trump said, adding that U.S. Marines had taken custody of the vessel.
The maritime confrontation unfolded alongside a significant diplomatic rupture. Iran's official news agency reported Sunday that Tehran has refused to participate in a second round of peace negotiations with Washington — talks that were reportedly set to convene in Pakistan in the coming days.
The dual developments — a military standoff at sea and the collapse of diplomatic momentum — mark a dangerous inflection point in U.S.-Iran relations, with both sides hardening their positions even as the international community watches the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors, with growing unease.
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