Tehran, Iran. Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its control of the strategic waterway as President Donald Trump said attacks on Iran would be held off indefinitely while the U.S. maintained a naval blockade.
Seizures and reports of attacks at sea
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said the Revolutionary Guards seized two vessels for maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores. Tasnim said it was the first time Iran has seized ships since the beginning of the war.
Earlier, a British maritime security agency reported three ships had come under fire.
Trump delays attacks but keeps blockade in place
Trump said in a statement on social media late on Tuesday that the United States had agreed to a request by Pakistani mediators “to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal … and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
Trump also said he would continue the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iran’s trade by sea. The United States fired on and seized an Iranian cargo vessel on Saturday and boarded a huge Iranian oil tanker on Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.
Iran rejects blockade and links strait closure to U.S. actions
Iran considers the U.S. blockade an act of war and has said it will not lift its closure of the strait, which has caused a global energy crisis, as long as the U.S. blockade continues.
Pakistan mediation efforts and stalled talks
Pakistan, acting as mediator, cleared out a luxury hotel in the capital Islamabad for last-ditch peace talks on Tuesday, aiming to reach a deal in the final hours before a two-week-old ceasefire expired.
Iran never confirmed it would attend, and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance never departed Washington, leaving what was described as a stalemate in the nearly two-month war with no clear solution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian reaction and Tasnim’s statement
There was no response early on Wednesday to Trump’s ceasefire announcement from senior Iranian officials, although some initial reactions from Tehran suggested Trump’s comments were being treated skeptically.
Tasnim said Iran had not asked for a ceasefire extension and repeated threats to break the U.S. blockade by force.
What impact do you think continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could have on global energy supplies?
