Iran’s president blasted Washington on Monday after U.S. forces disabled and seized an Iran-flagged tanker in the Arabian Sea, a move Tehran called “armed piracy” as a shaky ceasefire neared its expiration.
The U.S. Navy fired on the Iran-flagged M/V Touska on Sunday, disabling its engines before boarding and taking control of the vessel, according to the initial reports. Iranian officials quickly condemned the seizure as “armed piracy” and threatened retaliation.
The incident is the first high-profile enforcement action tied to the U.S.-led pressure campaign in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping artery for global energy and commerce. It also landed just as the next round of U.S.-Iran talks was supposed to get underway in Pakistan, with the two-week ceasefire set to expire Wednesday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian framed U.S. peace overtures as a trap and said Iran would not yield, citing what he called a long record of distrust.
“Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue. Deep historical mistrust in Iran toward U.S. gov conduct remains, while unconstructive & contradictory signals from American officials carry a bitter message; they seek Iran’s surrender. Iranians do not submit to force”, Pezeshkian wrote in a statement on X.
Peace talks were expected to begin Tuesday in Pakistan, but Iranian state media reports have cast doubt on whether Tehran will even show up. That uncertainty is now colliding with the looming ceasefire deadline and rising threats on both sides.
President Donald Trump, speaking Monday, signaled the White House is not planning to extend the truce if a deal is not reached.
Then lots of bombs start going off, Trump said in an interview with PBS News when asked what happens if the deadline hits without an agreement.
Pressed on whether the Pakistan talks were still on, Trump offered no assurances.
“I don’t know, he said. I mean, they’re supposed to be there. We agreed to be there, although they say we didn’t. But no, it was set up. And we’ll see whether or not it’s there. If they’re not there, that’s fine too.”
Trump has also insisted the administration’s posture is aimed at preventing Tehran from using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. In recent comments, he accused Iran of provocative actions at sea, warning that any violation could trigger a wider response.
Tehran, for its part, has painted U.S. actions as coercion and said the seizure reinforces its doubts about Washington’s intentions. With the ceasefire clock ticking and negotiations wobbling, both sides are now openly signaling they are ready to escalate if diplomacy collapses.
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