Iranian forces launched drone attacks targeting US military vessels in the Sea of Oman after American troops fired on and seized an Iranian commercial ship, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. The reported strikes mark a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington amid a fragile two-week ceasefire in the region.

Tasnim said the drone attacks were carried out in direct retaliation for the earlier US action against the Iranian-flagged vessel. However, the report did not provide details on the scale of the strikes, the number of drones deployed, or whether any damage was inflicted on US assets.

US SEIZES IRANIAN SHIP, FIRES ON VESSEL

The United States military said it fired on an Iranian cargo ship as it sailed towards Iran’s Bandar Abbas port before taking full custody of the vessel. US President Donald Trump said the ship, identified as Touska, attempted to breach a US-imposed naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said US Marines boarded the vessel after it ignored warnings. “Right now, US Marines have custody of the vessel. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board,” he said, adding that the vessel was under US Treasury sanctions over alleged illegal activity.

The United States Central Command later confirmed the operation and released footage showing the vessel’s capture by US Navy personnel.

IRAN CALLS MOVE ‘ARMED PIRACY’, VOWS RESPONSE

Iran’s military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and described the interception as “armed piracy”.

A spokesperson said US forces fired on the vessel and disabled its navigation system before boarding it. “The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy,” the spokesperson said.

Iran initially denied that the vessel had been seized, claiming its naval units had forced US forces to retreat. However, Tehran later appeared to acknowledge the interception after US confirmation of the operation.

Iran’s military said the ship was travelling from China and accused Washington of violating the ceasefire by attacking a commercial vessel.

CEASEFIRE, TALKS IN DOUBT AMID ESCALATION

The developments have cast doubt on whether the ceasefire will hold even until its scheduled end. Iran said it would not participate in a second round of talks proposed by the United States, citing the ongoing blockade, “excessive demands”, and shifting positions by Washington.

Confusion also persisted over the US delegation, with earlier indications that Vice President JD Vance would lead talks in Islamabad contradicted by later statements from Trump. Pakistan, which is mediating, stepped up security preparations ahead of the planned meeting.

Trump, meanwhile, also warned that the US could target Iran’s infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, if Tehran rejected his terms. Iran responded by cautioning that any attack on its civilian infrastructure would be met with strikes on power and desalination facilities in Gulf countries hosting US bases.