Iran decries US ‘maritime piracy’ following vessel seizure

(SeaPRwire) –   Tehran has charged Washington with breaching a truce and pledged to take action in return.

Iran has labeled a US assault on one of its ships as “armed maritime piracy,” and cautioned that it will retaliate.

A US naval vessel opened fire on and then captured an Iranian-flagged merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman this Sunday. According to military officials, the vessel, named the Touska, was trying to bypass a naval blockade while traveling toward Bandar Abbas via the Strait of Hormuz.

Shortly after the incident, the Khatam al-Anbiya military command center in Iran issued a statement denouncing the attack on the ship, which was coming back from China, and accused the US of breaking the ceasefire established on April 8.

“We caution that Iran’s armed forces will shortly react and take revenge for this act of armed piracy by the US military,” stated a spokesperson for the command center, according to the ISNA news agency.

Last week, US President Donald Trump declared a blockade on Iranian ports following the failure of negotiations mediated by Pakistan to reach a resolution.

Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, characterized the US blockade of Iran’s coastline and ports as an aggressive act that contravenes the ceasefire agreement.

“By intentionally imposing collective punishment on the people of Iran, these actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Baghaei posted on social media.

Baghaei’s remarks on Sunday came after Iran issued fresh threats against maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US blockade, essentially shutting down the vital waterway that accounts for roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas commerce.

The Tasnim news agency in Iran later stated that Iranian military units deployed drones toward US warships. The Pentagon has yet to verify if any vessels were targeted.