President Donald Trump announced that the US seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska after it tried to breach the naval blockade. According to Trump, the US Navy disabled the vessel by blowing a hole in its engine room and has taken full custody, inspecting its cargo. The US military released footage of the boarding, and Trump stated the Touska was under US Treasury sanctions for prior illegal activity.
Iran condemned the seizure as piracy and a violation of the ceasefire, according to the Iranian military command. An Iranian military spokesman vowed retaliation for the attack. Iranian state media reported that Iran has not changed its decision to abstain from peace talks with the US, and Iranian officials said the naval blockade is an obstacle to talks. Trump confirmed the blockade continues until a deal is agreed. The ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Iran's president, in comments reported by Daily Mirror - World News, described the US as bullies and said Iran would not sit down with them while blockades and seizures continue. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible while the blockade remains.
Iran will avenge the sinking of the IRIS Dena. The perpetrators will not go unpunished.
In a separate incident, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the southern coast of Sri Lanka using a torpedo. Sri Lankan officials reported 87 people were killed. Sri Lanka's navy responded to a distress call, recovering 87 bodies and rescuing 32 others. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said some 130 people were believed to have been on board. Iran identified the vessel as the IRIS Dena and vowed vengeance. India's Eastern Naval Command stated the IRIS Dena had been sailing home from an east Indian port where it participated in an international naval conference. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine noted this is the first time a US submarine has launched a torpedo in combat and destroyed a ship since the Second World War.
The broader maritime conflict has seen both sides seize vessels. The US Defense Department said the US has also seized other ships, including the Majestic X and Tifani, for smuggling Iranian oil. Iranian media reported Iran has seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and an Iranian deputy parliament speaker said Iran has begun collecting transit fees from ships passing through the strait. The US interception of the Touska caused oil prices to rise, according to multiple reports. Research sources indicate that since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, US forces have destroyed or incapacitated more than 120 Iranian naval vessels, though Adm. Brad Cooper said the US has destroyed more than 17 Iranian ships thus far, including the most operational Iranian submarine. The same research sources note that major Iranian naval facilities at Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, and Konarak were targeted within the first hours of the conflict, and that the IRIN and IRGCN share responsibility for securing maritime approaches to the Gulf, with IRGCN primary west of the Strait of Hormuz.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible while the blockade remains.
Diplomatic efforts continue amid the hostilities. The White House announced that US Vice-President JD Vance will lead a delegation to Pakistan for a second round of talks with Iran. Pakistan is mediating between the US and Iran, according to multiple reports. However, Iran's stated abstention from peace talks casts uncertainty on its participation. The contradiction between Iran's official position and signals from Iranian sources that the delegation will be the same as before remains unresolved, with major implications for de-escalation.
Several unknowns persist. It is unclear whether Iran will retaliate for the seizure of the Touska and the sinking of the IRIS Dena, and if so, how. The fate of the ceasefire, set to expire on Wednesday, remains uncertain. Iran's participation in the planned talks in Pakistan is in doubt despite its stated abstention. The exact cargo of the Touska and what the US will do with it have not been disclosed. Additionally, the number of Iranian naval vessels destroyed in Operation Epic Fury is disputed, with figures ranging from 17 to over 120.