Breaking: US Intercepts Iranian Ship in Gulf Standoff, Tehran Signals Revenge

Breaking: US Intercepts Iranian Ship in Gulf Standoff, Tehran Signals Revenge

AP

Washington : President Donald Trump said the US forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.

He said a US Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” and that US Marines had custody of the vessel, named Touska, and were “seeing what’s on board!”

Iran’s joint military command said Tehran will respond soon and called the US seizure an act of piracy.

The news threw into question Trump’s earlier announcement that US negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran. That had raised hopes of extending a fragile ceasefire set to expire by Wednesday, but Iran has not confirmed it would attend.

The escalating standoff threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed fighting that has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 civilians and 15 soldiers in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.

April 20, 2026 12:32 pm

Hezbollah claims attack destroyed Israeli tanks

April 20, 2026 12:26 pm

Washington: Hezbollah said it detonated explosives Sunday afternoon in an attack against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. The group said in a statement Monday that bombs planted by Hezbollah fighters exploded and destroyed four tanks in a convoy of eight tanks that was passing the village of Deir Siryan. It was the first claim of an attack by Hezbollah since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday.

Iran says it hangs 2 convicts claimed by opposition group

April 20, 2026 12:25 pm

Washington: Iran said Monday it hanged two men it accused of setting fire to buildings on behalf of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. An Iranian exiled opposition group earlier claimed the men as members and alleged their charges stemmed from events that happened after they already had been detained. AP

Iran vows swift response to US seizure of Iranian-flagged ship near Hormuz

April 20, 2026 12:24 pm

Washington: Iran’s military vowed a swift response to the US seizure of an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman, state media reported on Sunday. The military headquarters said the attack and subsequent boarding of the ship by US forces was a violation of the ceasefire and denounced it as piracy, Iran’s state-run broadcaster said. The US Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship it said had tried to evade a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US says it fired on the ship and seized it because it had crossed the blockade line after ignoring multiple warnings. AP

Oil prices, stocks climb as US-Iran standoff keeps Strait of Hormuz in limbo

April 20, 2026 10:41 am

Hong Kong: Oil prices climbed more than 5 per cent while Asian shares also advanced Monday as a standoff between Iran and the US prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz. The Persian Gulf waterway was closed again after Iran reversed a decision to reopen the strait and President Donald Trump said a US Navy blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. US benchmark crude gained 5.6 per cent to USD 87.20 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, was up 5.3 per cent at USD 95.16 a barrel. AP

Tehran says restrictions on Iranian oil come with a price

April 20, 2026 8:16 am

Dubai: Iran's first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, said global fuel prices could stabilise only if economic and military pressures on Iranian oil exports end. "One cannot restrict Iran's oil exports while expecting free security for others," Aref wrote on X. "The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone." Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the US prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.