The US says its forces have boarded a sanctioned ship carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean in the country's latest naval move against Iran. The US Department of Defence (DoD) said in a statement it had carried out a maritime interdiction - the interception or inspection of a vessel by a navy on ships suspected to be hostile or in violation of the law - on the M/T Majestic X.
The US has intercepted multiple ships after imposing a blockade on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on 13 April.
The latest interception comes as President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any boat laying mines in the critical shipping channel the Strait of Hormuz. Under the blockade, US Central Command (Centcom) said it has ordered 33 vessels to return to port, and the DoD has said it will continue to stop ships suspected of providing material support to Iran - anywhere they operate.
Iran described one US ship interception earlier this week as piracy. Trump has been hoping to put pressure on Tehran by targeting the country's oil revenues and tolls Tehran said it has collected from ships in order to navigate freely through the strait. Speaking at a White House event, he said the blockade was 100% effective and Iran is getting no business.
Trump claimed to have rejected an offer from Iran to reopen the strait three days ago, stating that it will open when we make a deal. Hamidreza Haji Bababei, the deputy speaker of the Iranian Parliament, claimed the first revenues from tolls imposed on ships using the vital waterway were deposited with the country's Central Bank. No further details have been provided on the toll amount or method of collection.
Despite the ongoing naval blockade, the US continues to impose sanctions while Trump extended a ceasefire at the request of Pakistan for mediation. Tensions escalated further when Iran's navy said it had seized two cargo ships in the strait after reports of vessels coming under fire from Iranian forces. Trump announced that US forces hold total control over the Strait of Hormuz and claimed Iranians were struggling in their leadership.
As hostilities grow, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz remarked that his country is ready to escalate military actions against Iran at a signal from the US, emphasizing the global implications of the ongoing standoff in this critical maritime route.
The US has intercepted multiple ships after imposing a blockade on maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on 13 April.
The latest interception comes as President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any boat laying mines in the critical shipping channel the Strait of Hormuz. Under the blockade, US Central Command (Centcom) said it has ordered 33 vessels to return to port, and the DoD has said it will continue to stop ships suspected of providing material support to Iran - anywhere they operate.
Iran described one US ship interception earlier this week as piracy. Trump has been hoping to put pressure on Tehran by targeting the country's oil revenues and tolls Tehran said it has collected from ships in order to navigate freely through the strait. Speaking at a White House event, he said the blockade was 100% effective and Iran is getting no business.
Trump claimed to have rejected an offer from Iran to reopen the strait three days ago, stating that it will open when we make a deal. Hamidreza Haji Bababei, the deputy speaker of the Iranian Parliament, claimed the first revenues from tolls imposed on ships using the vital waterway were deposited with the country's Central Bank. No further details have been provided on the toll amount or method of collection.
Despite the ongoing naval blockade, the US continues to impose sanctions while Trump extended a ceasefire at the request of Pakistan for mediation. Tensions escalated further when Iran's navy said it had seized two cargo ships in the strait after reports of vessels coming under fire from Iranian forces. Trump announced that US forces hold total control over the Strait of Hormuz and claimed Iranians were struggling in their leadership.
As hostilities grow, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz remarked that his country is ready to escalate military actions against Iran at a signal from the US, emphasizing the global implications of the ongoing standoff in this critical maritime route.
