Truce in Balance After US Seizes Iranian Ship

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran could collapse, after the United States announced it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to breach the blockade imposed on the Islamic Republic’s ports, prompting the Islamic Republic to vow to retaliate.

Efforts to achieve a more lasting peace in the region also appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran announced it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the United States had hoped would begin before the ceasefire ended on Tuesday. Iranian state media reported that Tehran had refused to hold new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, the threatening tone, Washington’s volatile positions, and its “excessive demands.”

The US military said Sunday it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship as it sailed toward the port of Bandar Abbas. US President Donald Trump wrote on social media, “We now have total control of their ship, and are checking what’s on board!”

The Iranian military stated that the ship was coming from China. State media quoted a military spokesperson as saying, “We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and avenge this act of armed piracy committed by the US military.”

Al sharq Al Awsat