Tehran/Washington, 20 April (H.S.): A maritime confrontation in the Gulf of Oman has dealt a fresh blow to fragile efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States. Iran’s military on Sunday vowed retaliation after Washington allegedly opened fire on an Iranian cargo ship and took it into custody.
According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the military said in a Telegram post that the United States had violated the ceasefire and carried out “armed piracy” in sea lanes. Iranian officials accused Washington of damaging the ship’s navigation equipment and deploying troops on its deck.
The U.S. military, however, confirmed that an American destroyer fired multiple rounds at an Iranian-flagged vessel that was attempting to breach a U.S. naval blockade. U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that the ship had been intercepted after failing to comply with repeated warnings. It also said that since the blockade began, the United States has ordered 25 commercial vessels to turn back or return to an Iranian port.
Hours before the incident, President Donald Trump said he was sending his team to Islamabad for talks with Iran. Tehran later said no negotiations would take place unless the United States lifted its blockade. Iranian media also reported that the government has decided to sell damaged state buildings that were affected during the war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a phone call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz violated the ceasefire agreement. He also warned that Iran fears Trump may “betray diplomacy.” On Truth Social, Trump said an Iranian cargo ship had tried to evade the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and was now in American custody, adding that U.S. authorities were inspecting the vessel.
The incident has sharply escalated tensions in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, where any disruption can quickly ripple through oil markets and regional diplomacy.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
