US seizes Iranian ship near Strait of Hormuz, Tehran vows to retaliate: ‘Will soon respond and…’

Iran has accused the United States of violating a recently agreed two-week ceasefire. The accusation came after American forces intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, called the action “armed piracy” and warned of a strong response. According to a statement reported by Reuters, Iran claimed that US forces fired at the vessel in the Sea of Oman and disabled its navigation system before boarding it.

The Iranian side said the ship was traveling from China to Iran when it was stopped. A spokesperson warned that Tehran would not remain silent and that its armed forces would soon retaliate against what it described as aggression.

US claims vessel violated blockade

The incident followed a statement by US President Donald Trump, who said American forces had taken control of the cargo ship. Posting on Truth Social, Trump claimed the vessel, named Touska, tried to pass through a US naval blockade and ignored repeated warnings.

He said the ship was intercepted by the US Navy destroyer USS Spruance in the Gulf of Oman. According to him, US Marines boarded the ship and took full custody. Trump also alleged that the vessel was under US Treasury sanctions due to earlier illegal activities.

Iran initially rejected these claims. Reports from Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency said that naval units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had responded quickly and forced US forces to retreat.

However, Iran later softened its stance after United States Central Command confirmed the seizure. The US military also released a video showing the operation, strengthening its claim that the ship had been captured successfully.