After US seizes Iranian cargo ship in Gulf of Oman, Iran refuses to confirm participation at Pakistan talks

U.S. military forces seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after it failed to heed warnings and attempted to breach the ongoing American blockade, Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday. 

The seizure of the ship capped a quick escalation of statements by both American and Iranian officials over the past few days, after the Iranian regime announced it had closed down the Strait of Hormuz again, while state media claimed the regime would not take part in the second round of ceasefire talks, planned to be held in Pakistan this week.

“U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19,” CENTCOM posted on its social media account on Sunday night. 

The military said that the M/V Touska, which was en route to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, failed to heed multiple warnings over a 6-hour period, at which point the USS Spruance issued a warning to evacuate the engine room before firing on the vessel, disabling it. 

“U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,” CENTCOM stated. 

U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump also posted about the ship’s capture on his Truth Social account: “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them.”

“The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” he wrote.

President Trump also said the confiscated vessel was under sanctions and that its cargo was being examined. 

“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship and are seeing what’s on board!” 

Meanwhile, Pakistan has already begun preparations for the next round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, including establishing checkpoints, closing certain tourist sites, and enacting limits on nearby hotels. Two U.S. C-17 cargo planes landed in Pakistan on Sunday evening, Reuters reported, while stating that the Serena Hotel, which hosted the previous talks, was cleared of all guests ahead of renewed talks. 

However, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that “as long as US President Donald Trump’s declaration regarding a naval blockade of Iran remains in place, there will be no negotiations.” 

That statement was confirmed on Monday morning by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, who said the regime has no plan to attend the negotiations in Pakistan.

“As for the U.S., they traveled or said they wanted to travel, well, that is very much up to them,” Baqaei stated in a press conference on Monday morning, when asked about the talks in Islamabad. “But as I said, we are very clear that we do not really see any serious signs about the seriousness of the U.S.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says Tehran has no plan for another round of negotiations with the Americans, stating “if the U.S. sends a team to Islamabad, that is a matter that concerns them.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept any deadlines or… pic.twitter.com/YSoaJ8FxHb

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) April 20, 2026

Additionally, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assesses that IRGC Commander Major-General Ahmad Vahidi and members of his inner circle are most likely managing Iran’s military and shaping its negotiating position, amid ongoing reports and speculation about the possible incapacitation of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The report stated, "The IRGC appears to have sidelined more pragmatic figures with whom the United States has negotiated," such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

NEW: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and members of his inner circle have likely secured at least temporary control over not only Iran’s military response in this conflict but also Iran’s negotiating position and approach within the… pic.twitter.com/01qj9Nw3FR

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) April 19, 2026

A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, quoted by a regime-affiliated news agency, said the Iranian armed forces will respond to the seizure of the vessel.

“We caution that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate for this act of piracy and armed aggression by the US military,” the spokesperson said. 

Tasnim also reported that Iranian forces responded to the capture by launching drones at several U.S. military vessels in the region, but did not say whether any of the attacks were successful, adding that the cargo ship was traveling from China to Iran when it was stopped. 

At the same time, Osman Salari, a political correspondent for the Islamic Republic News Agency, said that Iran will declare “sovereignty and ownership” of the Strait of Hormuz, in an attempt to control the passage of vessels and legitimize efforts to collect payments from ships traversing the waterway.

With the Iran ceasefire set to expire on Tuesday night, all sides have reportedly begun preparing to resume the military conflict. 

IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi said Iranian forces are replacing their missile and drone launchers at a faster pace now than they did before the war, Nournews reported. 

The report was accompanied by a video of Mousavi inspecting an unspecified underground missile facility. The date of the video was unclear.