The fate of the talks between the United States and Iran is unclear after a dramatic escalation at sea, with President Donald Trump on Sunday saying US forces had attacked and seized an Iranian cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Trump said the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance fired on the ship, “blowing a hole” in its engine room before US Marines boarded and took control.
The incident comes days before a fragile ceasefire is due to expire and amid uncertainty over whether new diplomatic talks will go ahead.
US vs Iran on Ship Capture in Gulf of Oman
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the vessel had defied a US blockade of Iranian ports and was under US Treasury sanctions due to a “history of illegal activity”. “We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” he wrote, without providing details on any casualties.
Iran’s Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters later confirmed that the vessel had been attacked and seized. “The aggressive America, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran’s commercial ships in the waters of the Sea of Oman by firing upon it and disabling its navigation system by deploying several of its terrorist marines on the deck of the mentioned vessel,” it said in a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency.
“We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” it added.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Prevail
The incident took place south of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes. Iran has imposed a blockade on the strait, while the United States has responded by restricting access to Iranian ports.
On Saturday, Iran attacked two Indian vessels attempting to transit the region, actions Trump described as a “total violation of our cease-fire”.
The ceasefire, which came into effect on April 8, is due to expire on April 22. Tensions have been rising as the deadline approaches.
WATCH: U.S. forces seizes Iranian ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman. pic.twitter.com/dnweL38Dr7
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) April 19, 2026
US-Iran Talks Still On?
Trump said earlier that US negotiators would travel to Islamabad for talks with Iranian counterparts on Monday. A White House official said the delegation would be led by Vice President JD Vance and include senior aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
However, there has been no confirmation from Tehran. Iranian state media, citing sources, suggested the talks would not take place. Reports also highlighted a phone call between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in which Pezeshkian was quoted as saying US actions had increased suspicion that Washington would “betray diplomacy”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also cited as saying recent US actions and rhetoric showed “bad intentions and lack of seriousness in diplomacy”.
Separately, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the country had rejected participation in a second round of talks, citing “Washington’s excessive demands and unrealistic expectations” as well as what it described as repeated contradictions and the ongoing naval blockade.
The planned talks would follow a first round of negotiations held last week in Islamabad, also led by Vance, which ended without a breakthrough but marked one of the highest-level engagements between the two sides in decades.
Trump, meanwhile, renewed his warnings to Tehran. “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL,” he wrote. “I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.”
With the ceasefire deadline looming and tensions escalating at sea, the prospects for diplomacy appear increasingly uncertain.
