UPDATE: US military seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship

Daphne Psaledakis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Saad Sayeed Reuters

WASHINGTON — The United States said Sunday it seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran said it would retaliate, raising the possibility that the ceasefire between the two countries might not last for even the two days it is set to remain in force.

Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.

A weeks-long blockade of shipping that drove global oil prices higher likewise might remain in place.

The United States maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

The U.S. military said Sunday it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship as the vessel sailed toward Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. “We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” President Donald Trump wrote on social media.

Iran’s military said the ship was traveling from China. “We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the U.S. military,” a military spokesperson said, according to state media.

Iranian state media also reported that Tehran rejected new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, threatening rhetoric and Washington’s shifting positions and “excessive demands.”

“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others. The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone,” Iran’s First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref wrote on social media.

Trump warned Iran that the United States would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran rejected his terms, continuing a pattern of such threats throughout the war.

Iran said that if the United States were to attack its civilian infrastructure, it would hit power stations and desalination plants of Gulf Arab neighbors.

Brent crude futures jumped about 7% to $96.85 a barrel and S&P 500 futures fell about 0.9% in early Asian trading, as investors dealt with conflicting messages about the war.

Trump said his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, one day before a two-week ceasefire ends.

A White House official said the U.S. delegation would be headed by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago, and also include Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had separately told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.

Pakistan, which has served as the main mediator, appeared to be preparing for the talks. Two giant U.S. C-17 cargo planes landed at an air base Sunday afternoon, carrying security equipment and vehicles in preparation for the U.S. delegation’s arrival, two Pakistani security sources said.

Municipal authorities in the capital city of Islamabad halted public transport and heavy-goods traffic through the city. Barbed wire was rolled out near the Serena Hotel, where last week’s talks were held. The hotel told all guests to leave.

Now in its eighth week, the war has created the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history, sending oil prices surging because of the de facto closure of the strait.

Thousands of people have been killed by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28. Iran responded to the attacks with missiles and drones against its Arab neighbors that host U.S. bases.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led Iran’s side in the talks, had earlier said the two sides had made progress but were still far apart on nuclear issues and the strait.

European allies, repeatedly criticized by Trump for not aiding his war effort, worry that Washington’s negotiating team is pushing for a swift, superficial deal that would require months or years of technically complex follow‑on talks.

Iran’s semi‑official Tasnim news agency reported that two liquefied petroleum gas tankers that attempted to transit the strait were turned back by Iran’s armed forces on Saturday. One of the tankers, the Angola‑flagged LPG tanker G Summer, later exited the Gulf on a second attempt, according to MarineTraffic vessel tracking data.

Categories: Regression – Syndication