April 19 (UPI) — The U.S. Navy on Sunday fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship as part of its blockade of Iran-linked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest salvo this weekend to call the nearly expired cease-fire into question.
The military action comes as President Donald Trump said that he is sending a delegation to Pakistan for peace talks to end the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
Iran has flip-flopped in recent days about whether it would open the Strait and Trump has insisted the U.S. blockade would stay in place, with the back-and-forth culminating this weekend in both sides firing on ships attempting to sail through.
Since the United States and Israel launched the war in Iran there has been a struggle between both sides to control traffic in the Strait.
That struggle has had significant effects on the world economy because roughly 20% of the world’s oil and fuel supplies transit the route daily, which has affected the cost of myriad products, most notably automobile and airplane fuels.
Trump on Sunday also threatened to destroy Iranian civilization if the regime does not agree to U.S. demands that it not enrich uranium for any purpose — civilian or military — for at least 20 years, among other requirements to end the war.
“It’s going to be very good,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday about the situation in Iran amid the shaky cease-fire and fiery rhetoric from both sides.
“They are either going to do it or they are going to have problems,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Iranian official state media last week said that Trump’s posts on social media are “no longer a suitable medium for persuading domestic public opinion; rather, even this very ‘not explaining’ requires explanation.”
Throughout the conflict, Trump has shared thoughts on negotiations and threats at Iran on social media.
The posts have come even as he has sent administration officials to work with Iran toward reaching the goals of the war and to which Iran has responded in kind, including with animated Lego shorts depicting Trump himself, with other members of the administration.
The Navy fired on the Iran-flagged ship as it attempted to bypass the blockade in the Gulf of Oman, which happened hours after Iran started to fire on other ships attempting to transit through the Strait, calling the ceasefire into question.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, serving as the only path out of the region toward the Arabian Sea and the open ocean, hence its importance to global trade.
The U.S. delegation traveling to Pakistan will include Vice President JD Vance, White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to reports.
The delegation is expected to land in Islamabad on Monday for the second round of talks to end the war.
