President Trump said the U.S. had seized an Iranian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman, the first known use of force in the U.S. blockade.
The president’s announcement came hours after he said U.S. negotiators would arrive in Pakistan on Monday for peace talks while warning Iran to take a deal or face strikes that would knock out all of its bridges and power plants. Iran hasn’t publicly confirmed the talks and state media suggested officials may skip the discussions, citing Washington’s “excessive demands.”
Iran’s top negotiator said earlier that there had been progress toward a peace deal with the U.S. but that “we are far from a final agreement.”
The container ship seized by U.S. forces was a frequent visitor to Chinese ports and had spent time in waters known for illicit ship-to-ship transfers, according to open-source tracking data and shipping experts.
Control of the waters south of Iran remains a primary sticking point between the two sides. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said it would close the Strait of Hormuz again and restrict shipping until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. It warned that it would “destroy” vessels attempting to cross.