The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said early yesterday (April 21) that it seized an Iranian-flagged vessel that was attempting to head toward one of the country’s ports. Iran has warned it will soon retaliate against the move.
According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces issued multiple warnings to the cargo ship, saying it was violating the U.S. naval blockade.
The command said the vessel ignored the warnings, prompting a U.S. destroyer to order the engine room evacuated. U.S. forces then fired several rounds into the compartment.
The U.S. military said its Marines boarded the vessel and took control of it.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement: “The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this act of armed piracy by the U.S. military.”
The statement added: “The aggressive United States, by violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy, attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the waters of the Sea of Oman, disabled its navigation system, and deployed a number of its terrorist Marines onto the deck.”
CENTCOM said U.S. forces have forced 25 commercial vessels to change course since the start of the naval blockade.
The seizure of the Iranian cargo ship has raised concerns about the durability of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
