Photo: Getty Images
Iran vowed retaliation against the United States after the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break through its blockade at the Strait of Hormuz by "blowing a hole" in its engine room.
A spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said it would take "necessary action" after the incident in the Arabian Sea on Sunday (April 19) but would first ensure the safety of the crew and family members on board in comments carried by the semi-official Fars news agency via NBC News. The spokesperson said Iran was ready for a "decisive response" to what it described as "blatant aggression" by the American military, however, was concerned about the family members of the ship's personnel and claimed it was “constrained in order to preserve their lives and security which were in danger at any moment.”
"The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will carry out the necessary action against the American terrorist army,” the spokesperson said, once officials could ensure the safety of the families and personnel.
President Donald Trump said the USS Spruance destroyer intercepted Iran's Touska cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the Tehran vessel refused the Americans' warnings to stop in a post shared on his Truth Social account Sunday (April 19).
Trump had previously announced that negotiations with his envoy scheduled to be in Pakistan in hopes of extending the ceasefire agreement between the two countries even after a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz in an earlier post shared on his Truth Social account Sunday. The reported process of negotiations came after Tehran said it would be open to talks with the U.S., but reaffirmed its decision to once again close the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in an interview on state television late Saturday (April 18) via the Associated Press.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was reached on Thursday (April 16) and went into place on Friday (April 17). Iran had initially claimed that Lebanon was included in its ceasefire with the U.S. before Israel launched attacks on Hezbollah.
The Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a vital waterway for trade along the Persian Gulf responsible for an estimated 20% of the world's oil supply traveling through, was initially blockaded by Iran in response to the United States and Israel's 'Operation Epic Fury' prior to its ceasefire agreement and most recently due to Israel's failed truce with Lebanon. The blockade has led to gas prices soaring in the United States as the price of oil surpassed $100 per barrel multiple times.
The U.S. military began its own blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas in adherence with Trump's orders earlier this week.