The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced early Monday that the United States has violated the ceasefire and committed an act of maritime piracy.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will soon retaliate against this act of armed piracy by the US military,” Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari said.
He stated that the United States, “as the aggressor, violated the ceasefire and engaged in maritime piracy by opening fire on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Sea of Oman.” He added that US forces “then boarded the ship and disabled its navigation systems.”
The spokesman of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced that Iran will soon retaliate for the US military’s armed piracy in the Sea of Oman. pic.twitter.com/SYvEJLo2l2
— Mehr News Agency (@MehrnewsCom) April 20, 2026
According to Iranian accounts, US forces carried out an unprovoked attack on the container ship Toska, which had been travelling from China to Iran through the Gulf of Oman.
Iranian forces reportedly responded by launching drone strikes against several US military vessels operating in the area.
US President Donald Trump later confirmed that American forces had seized the Iranian ship, praising US military strength and describing it as the world’s most powerful force. Iranian officials dismissed these remarks as further evidence of Washington’s conduct in international waters.
Iran has stated that it will respond firmly to any hostile actions by the United States.
The incident comes amid a U.S. naval blockade of Iran and days after a ceasefire was reportedly agreed upon during U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, with Iranian officials accusing Washington of violating the truce by resuming hostile actions.
