U.S. takes Iran-flagged ship into custody, Trump says
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President Trump at the White House on Saturday. Photo: Allison Robbert/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
American forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship after it tried to bypass a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, President Trump said Sunday.
Why it matters: It's the first seizure and the first ship fired upon since the U.S. blockade went into effect last Sunday in response to Iran effectively holding the Strait or Hormuz hostage since the war began on Feb. 28.
- Trump said U.S. Marines disabled and seized the vessel, named the Touska, as U.S. and Iranian officials prepared to hold talks in Pakistan ahead of a looming deadline for the ceasefire ending.
What they're saying: Trump posted on Truth Social that the USS Spruance "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 engineroom."
- In a separate post earlier Sunday, he threatened that if Iran doesn't accept a deal, "the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
Tehran did not immediately comment on Trump's post.
Go deeper: Trump says he'll send negotiators to Pakistan, Iran suspects trap
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
