Donald Trump has said the US Navy have seized an Iranian cargo ship after ‘blowing a hole in their engine room’ on the Strait of Hormuz.
The US President claimed his forces are now searching the Touska cargo ship after it was ‘stopped in its tracks’ on Sunday evening.
‘Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them.
‘The US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop.
‘The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel.
‘The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!’
Earlier the US President said Iran had committed a ‘total violation of our ceasefire agreement’ in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to ‘knock out every single Power Plant’ and bridge if a deal isn’t made between the warring countries.
Trump said there would be ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY’ with Iran and called for ‘the Iran killing machine to end’.
In the Truth Social post this afternoon, he also said that Iran fired bullets at a French ship and a UK freighter in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Metro understands the government has received no reports of any attacks on UK-linked vessels on Saturday.
Iran announced barely 24 hours ago that the key shipping lane would be ‘completely open’ for the duration of the current ceasefire agreement.
But they closed it again yesterday morning in retaliation after the US pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran’s joint military command said ‘control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces’.
Tui Cruises also confirmed on Sunday that two of its ships, Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining approvals from relevant authorities.
Trump also said his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday and were prepared to hold more talks in Iran.
Vice President J.D. Vance will lead the US delegation in Islamabad, the US Ambassador to the UN confirmed.
Iran’s short-lived plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz provided some relief to oil prices and stock markets on Friday.
Brent crude fell more than 10% to just over 89 US dollars a barrel in afternoon trading on Friday, and stock markets across Europe also soared.
The FTSE 100 index lifted 0.6% to 10,656, while the Dax in Germany surged 2% and France’s Cac 40 was 1.7% higher.
The US and Iran are in the middle of a fragile truce which is due to last until April 22, while Israel and Lebanon have begun a 10-day ceasefire.
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