Fresh standoff in Strait of Hormuz: US Navy seizes Iranian-flagged ship, oil prices rise

A US Navy destroyer seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions between the warring countries amid a potential second round of talks this week to reach a peace deal.

US Central Command said American forces intercepted the vessel, identified as the M/V Touska, on April 19 as it sailed in the north Arabian Sea toward Iran’s Bandar Abbas port.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance issued repeated warnings over six hours, saying the ship was violating a US-imposed naval blockade.

When the crew failed to comply, the warship fired on the vessel’s engine room, disabling its propulsion, before US Marines boarded and took control, CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. The ship remains in US custody.

“American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance,” the command said, adding that 25 commercial vessels have been turned back since the blockade began last week.

US President Donald Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said the vessel was under US Treasury sanctions and praised the operation, saying the Navy had stopped the ship “right in its tracks.”

The seizure marked the first such interception since Washington launched its blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran condemned the action as “piracy” and a violation of a recently agreed ceasefire, according to state media. Tehran has increasingly criticised US actions in recent days, warning they undermine diplomatic efforts.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accused Washington of “bullying” and fostering doubts about its commitment to diplomacy, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed similar concerns in a separate call with Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar.

The developments come as a fragile ceasefire, brokered in Islamabad earlier this month, is set to expire on Wednesday. It remains unclear whether planned talks between US and Iranian officials in Pakistan will go ahead.

Trump earlier said US negotiators would travel to Islamabad for discussions, but he has also intensified his rhetoric, warning of severe consequences if Tehran does not agree to a deal.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal,” Trump wrote, adding that failure to reach an agreement could lead to US strikes on Iranian infrastructure.

The confrontation has rattled energy markets, with oil prices rising on concerns that the standoff could disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The price of US crude oil increased 6.4% to USD 87.88 per barrel after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude climbed 6.5% to USD 96.25 per barrel.

Iran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz open for all commercial vessels but soon reversed its decision after Trump said the US Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect.

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has created one of the worst global energy crises in decades.