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US President Donald Trump connected Sunday claimed that American forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel TOUSKA aft it tried to bypass a naval blockade adjacent the Strait of Hormuz.Iran initially contradicted the claim, saying US forces were forced to retreat.
However, the Islamic Republic aboriginal confirmed the seizure and warned it would “respond and retaliate”.
The contented has escalated tensions days earlier a fragile ceasefire is acceptable to expire.In a station connected Truth Social helium wrote, “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel named TOUSKA… tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not spell good for them.”Trump said the vessel was warned by a US Navy guided rocket destroyer successful the Gulf of Oman to stop, but it did not comply."The US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA successful the Gulf of Oman, and gave them just informing to stop. The Iranian unit refused to listen, truthful our Navy vessel stopped them close successful their tracks by blowing a spread successful the motor room. Right now, US Marines person custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is nether US Treasury Sanctions due to the fact that of their anterior past of amerciable activity. We person afloat custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s connected board!," helium further wrote.
CENTCOM issues statement, details seizure of Iranian vessel
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the forces operating successful the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against the Iranian-flagged cargo vas TOUSKA arsenic it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port.According to CENTCOM, the USS Spruance intercepted the vas arsenic it transited the northbound Arabian Sea astatine 17 knots en way to Bandar Abbas, Iran. The US said repeated warnings were issued implicit a six-hour period, during which the vas allegedly failed to comply with orders to stop.The bureau besides released the video showing however US navy intercepted Iranian vas Touska successful Hormuz.
It added that “US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboriginal boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains successful US custody.” CENTCOM said US forces acted successful a “deliberate, professional, and proportional manner” and claimed that since the blockade began, 25 commercialized vessels person been directed to crook astir oregon instrumentality to Iranian ports.
Iran earlier contradicted the US version
Before confirming the seizure, Iranian state-linked media gave a antithetic relationship of the aforesaid incident.According to Al-Jazeera citing the semi-official Mehr quality agency, “American violent forces deployed to the waters surrounding the Sea of Oman and opened occurrence connected an Iranian merchant vessel to unit it to instrumentality to Iranian territorial waters”.It added, “with the timely beingness and accelerated effect of the IRGC naval units successful enactment of the Iranian ship, the Americans were forced to retreat and fly the area.”
The study did not sanction the vas involved.The study did not sanction the vas and straight contradicted Trump’s assertion of a palmy seizure.
Iran confirms seizure, calls it ‘armed piracy’
Iran aboriginal confirmed that a US cognition had targeted and seized 1 of its commercialized ships.“The assertive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked 1 of Iran’s commercialized ships… by firing upon it and disabling its navigation strategy by deploying respective of its violent marines connected the deck,” a connection said.“We pass that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran volition soon respond to and retaliate against this equipped piracy by the US military.”The incidental has formed uncertainty implicit caller diplomatic efforts. Trump had earlier said US negotiators would question to Pakistan for talks, but Iran has not confirmed participation.Iranian officials person besides criticised what they picture arsenic US “excessive demands” and “ceasefire breaches”, raising questions implicit whether negotiations volition spell ahead.
