Overview
- The U.S. Navy disabled and boarded the Iranian‑flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman after a six‑hour standoff, which CENTCOM said Sunday ended with Marines taking custody of the vessel.
- Iran called the seizure “armed piracy,” vowed retaliation, and reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz by turning vessels back and restricting passage.
- Tehran said it has no plans to attend planned talks in Islamabad, while Pakistan prepared security for a U.S. delegation and White House messaging on Vice President J.D. Vance’s attendance shifted across outlets.
- Oil prices jumped after the seizure and reclosure, with Brent trading near $95–$96 and European natural gas up as much as 11%, as shipping through Hormuz—normally carrying about one‑fifth of seaborne oil—slowed to a near standstill.
- The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place and core gaps persist on uranium enrichment limits, sanctions relief, and who manages safe transit in Hormuz, raising the risk the ceasefire that ends April 21 will collapse.