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An Iranian bulk carrier made it back to port after crossing the Oman Sea despite an attempted seizure by U.S. naval forces, according to Iranian state-linked media, as maritime tensions continue to build around the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars news agency reported that the vessel, carrying rice, passed safely through contested waters and reached Iran under escort from the naval units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, calling it a successful passage.
U.S. Central Command announced that American forces have redirected 33 vessels, ordering them to turn back or return to port as part of Washington’s ongoing blockade of Iranian maritime traffic.
The U.S. Navy also seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska and boarded the oil tanker M/T Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. Iran, for its part, reported that it seized two container ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week.
The blockade, launched on April 13, came after weeks of mounting disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Tehran refused to join a proposed second round of talks in Islamabad with the blockade still in place, asserting that the move breached ceasefire conditions.
Shipping activity through the strait has remained heavily disrupted since the U.S-Israeli attacks against Iran began on Feb. 28, shaking global energy markets and raising concerns about long-term economic fallout.
A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire is currently in place, though negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent settlement are expected to continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump escalated rhetoric on Thursday, stating that he had instructed the U.S. Navy to take immediate lethal action against any vessels laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
"I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat … that is putting mines in the waters," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that there should be "no hesitation" in carrying out the directive.
He also claimed that Iran’s naval fleet had effectively been neutralized and ordered a threefold increase in minesweeping operations to secure the waterway.
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