‘Act of piracy’: Iran vows ‘swift retaliation’ after US disables, seizes cargo ship ‘Touska’

Tehran: Iran’s military establishment issued a vow of swift retaliation on Sunday (Monday IST) following the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman, an escalation that has cast a shadow over a fragile ceasefire scheduled to expire Wednesday.

The Iranian military headquarters characterised the U.S. boarding of the ship as an act of "piracy" and a direct breach of the current truce, according to Iran’s state broadcaster. The confrontation occurred after the U.S. Navy attacked and intercepted the cargo vessel, asserting that the ship had ignored multiple warnings and attempted to bypass a naval blockade near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The intensification of the Washington-Tehran standoff has raised significant doubts regarding a proposed second round of diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad.

Diplomatic Trust Erodes

In a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Washington’s negotiating demands and military threats against Iranian maritime assets are "clear signs" of American disingenuousness.

While President Donald Trump previously announced that American negotiators would depart for Pakistan on Monday, Iranian officials have not formally confirmed their participation. Iranian state media, citing unnamed sources, issued reports on Sunday suggesting the talks would not proceed. These reports notably surfaced prior to the official U.S. announcement regarding the ship's seizure.

Pezeshkian Cites "Bullying"

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency provided details of a separate call between President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Pakistani prime minister. According to the report, Pezeshkian alleged that the United States has engaged in "bullying and unreasonable behaviour" throughout the negotiation process and the ceasefire period.

The Iranian president reportedly warned that the combination of U.S. military actions and hostile rhetoric has fueled suspicion within Tehran that the United States intends to "betray diplomacy" and repeat past patterns of behaviour.

The report from Mizan did not clarify whether Pezeshkian specifically addressed the upcoming Islamabad summit or the recent kinetic engagement in the Gulf of Oman. However, the escalating tensions and the seizure of the vessel appear to have fundamentally strained the diplomatic framework intended to prevent a broader conflict.

With inputs from AP