Iran has reported seizing two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. blockade, just hours after President Donald Trump announced an extension of the cease-fire.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said Wednesday morning it had taken two ships, citing maritime violations, according to state media. The vessels have since been escorted to Iranian ports, they said.
The reports mark a significant escalation in Iran’s continued chokeholdover the vital waterway through which around a fifth of global oil production flows, as it’s the first time Iran has seized ships since the start of the war on Feb. 28.
Earlier on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported that two vessels in the Strait had come under gunfire.
Iranian state media named the two vessels seized by the IRGC as MSC Francesca and Epaminondas.
A third vessel, Euphoria, was also reportedly targeted.
The unrest in the Strait places added strain on the newly-extended, and already fragile, U.S.-Iran cease-fire.
While Washington is on standby for further peace talks to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, it remains unclear if Tehran plans on participating.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who is set to once again lead the U.S. delegation, remains grounded as the Administration seemingly awaits word from Iranian officials.
It’s also unclear whether Iran is fully on-board with the cease-fire extension.
Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has dismissed the extended break in fighting.
“Trump’s cease-fire extension means nothing. The losing side cannot dictate terms. The continuation of the siege is no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response,” he argued.
Showcasing Iran’s distrust in Washington, he went on to claim: “Moreover, Trump’s cease-fire extension is certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike. The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”
The struggle for control of the Strait escalated over the weekend when the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to bypass the blockade.
Iran has vehemently argued that both acts—the seizing of the cargo ship and the blockade itself—were violations of the cease-fire. The U.S., in turn, has frequently accused Iran of breaking the initial cease-fire.
Now, amid reports of seized vessels and gunfire in the Strait, the path toward a sustainable end to the war is unclear.
U.S.-Iran peace talks remain uncertain
Iranian news agency Tasnim reported Tuesday that Iran’s negotiation team sees “no prospect of participating in the negotiations.”
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told state television that the uncertainty was not due to indecision on Iran’s part, but was instead down to “contradictory messages” from Washington.
“The reason for this is not indecision; it is the contradictory messages, contradictory behaviors, and unacceptable actions of the American side,” he argued.
Pakistan, who mediated the initial cease-fire and will host the next round of talks, should they take place, continue to urge both sides to return to the table.
“I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the cease-fire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course,” said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the cease-fire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict.”
Oil prices rise amid unrest in Strait
Following reports of vessels being seized by Iran, the price of Brent crude oil saw a jump of more than 1.8% on Wednesday, reaching over $100 per barrel.
Amid the ongoing instability to the global market, and with the International Energy Agency (IEA) saying the Iran war has resulted in the “biggest” energy crisis in history, world leaders are eager to find a resolution that results in the uninterrupted reopening of the Strait.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s chief of foreign affairs, has said the “freedom of navigation is non-negotiable” and referred to the current upheaval taking place in the crucial waterway as “reckless.”
The U.K. is launching a two-day conference on Wednesday with military planners from over 30 countries, in an attempt to “advance military plans to reopen the Strait, as soon as conditions permit, following a sustainable cease-fire agreement.”
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