Trump Says US Fired on, Seized Iranian Cargo Ship Near Strait of Hormuz

Bloomingbit Newsroom

Summary

Donald Trump said the US fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz and had taken control of it.
Iran has said it will not negotiate unless the US lifts its maritime blockade, making a second round of US-Iran talks scheduled for April 20 uncertain.
Some observers say Trump's seizure of and gunfire at the Iranian ship could provoke Iran's military and derail renewed talks, while also pointing to the possibility that he intends to restart the war.

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President Donald Trump said the US fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz as Washington intensified pressure on Tehran ahead of the expiration of a ceasefire. Iran has said it will not negotiate unless the US lifts its maritime blockade, leaving talks scheduled for April 20 uncertain.

In a Truth Social post on April 19, Trump said the US stopped an Iranian cargo ship trying to break the American maritime blockade in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz and had taken control of it. He also wrote that the vessel's engine room had been pierced, indicating the US Navy fired on and seized the ship.

If no agreement is reached this time, Trump said, "I won't play nice anymore." He called the US offer "very fair and reasonable" and said he hoped Iran would accept it. Otherwise, he said, "the United States will take down every power plant and bridge in Iran. It will happen instantly and easily."

The US and Iran had appeared to be moving toward de-escalation on April 17 after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect and Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open. But Trump kept the maritime blockade on Iran in place, and Tehran called that a violation of the ceasefire agreement before closing the strait again.

Attention is now turning to a second round of US-Iran talks said to be planned in Islamabad. The main issues are set to include whether Iran can maintain its nuclear program and whether nuclear materials would be shipped out. The US is seeking to secure Iran's full abandonment of its nuclear program, while Iran is demanding an end to the maritime blockade as a condition for resuming negotiations. The divide between the two sides remains wide.

Some observers say Trump's seizure of and gunfire at the Iranian ship could further inflame Iran's military establishment and derail a resumption of talks. Axios reported that several Iranian officials said Trump's real intention may be to restart the war.

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Park Su-rim, Hankyung.com reporter, paksr365@hankyung.com