U.S. Navy Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship in Gulf of Oman as Nuclear Talks Stall

President Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. Navy fired on, seized, and boarded an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly attempted to evade a U.S. naval blockade. Trump said American forces blew a hole in the ship's engine room after giving it fair warning to stop, and that the U.S. now has full custody of the vessel.

The incident comes as the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran continues to show cracks, with both sides accusing the other of violations. Iran imposed its own restrictions on traffic through the region over the weekend, leaving shipping at a near standstill. Iran also allegedly opened fire on two Indian-flagged ships during that same period.

United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back on Iranian claims of ownership over the waterway. "The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, unlike what the Iranians are trying to claim," Waltz said. "They've even moved the goal posts and are now claiming that it's a waterway of theirs, which is an absolute violation of international law. Ultimately, it's the U.S. Navy and President Trump that decide what comes in and what comes out."

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) called for a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying the goal should be getting Iran "back to the place that they agreed to, that they would never seek to acquire or develop nuclear weapons. They agreed to that. Donald Trump tore that up."

Trump threatened to strike civilian infrastructure if a nuclear deal is not reached, with Waltz saying simply, "Everything's on the table."

U.S. negotiators were set to travel to Pakistan Monday for what was expected to be a second round of nuclear talks, though Iran's state news reported Sunday that any confirmation of negotiations in Islamabad "is not true," suggesting Tehran may not show up.

A separate ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon remains in effect.