The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
President Donald J. Trump has announced that the U.S. Navy successfully intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the TOUSKA, after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman. According to the President, the USS Spruance, a guided-missile destroyer, issued warnings to the 900-foot vessel before "blowing a hole in the engineroom" when the crew refused to stop. U.S. Marines have since boarded and taken full custody of the ship, which was already under U.S. Treasury sanctions for prior illegal activity.
The President confirmed that the vessel is currently being searched to determine its cargo. This high-seas interception marks a significant escalation in the enforcement of the U.S. blockade.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had a “constructive” conversation on Sunday evening with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian about the evolving regional situation.
"I appreciated Iran’s engagement, including its high-level delegation to Islamabad for the historic talks, and recent discussions with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Tehran," Sharif said.
He said he assured President Pezeshkian that Pakistan remains fully committed to its role as a facilitator of lasting peace and regional stability.
Mr Sharif also said he shared insights from his recent engagements with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye.
Iran has not yet decided whether to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan and says talks with the U.S. will not take place while a naval blockade remains in effect, Anadolu reports, citing Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim said messages between Iran and the U.S. have continued in recent days through a Pakistani intermediary, following what it described as the end of the first round of negotiations last weekend, and called the exchanges “a continuation of the same process” seen during those talks.
Tasnim said the Iranian negotiating team had made clear that “as long as” President Donald Trump’s declaration on a naval blockade of Iran remains in place, there will be no negotiations.
Separately, a White House official told Anadolu that U.S. Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran. President Trump told Fox News that meetings are scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad and could run into Wednesday.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has remained severely disrupted since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on 28 February, and the U.S. naval blockade was announced on 13 April.
The Israeli military on Sunday published, for the first time, a map showing a new deployment line inside southern Lebanon, bringing dozens of mostly abandoned Lebanese villages under its control, days after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
The line runs east to west and extends about 5 to 10 km from the border into Lebanese territory, where Israel says it plans to create a buffer zone, following a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreed on Thursday after direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on 14 April.
In a statement accompanying the map, Israel said, “Five divisions, alongside Israeli Navy forces, are operating simultaneously south of the forward defence line in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites and to prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel.” Lebanon and Hezbollah did not immediately comment.
British police say they are investigating possible links to Iran after a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London, as the UK chief rabbi warned that a “sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” against the Jewish community is “gathering momentum”.
Counter terrorism officers are leading the inquiry after the latest incident, at Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, shortly after midnight, the third such attack in a week. A pro-Iranian group, which says it is behind attacks across Europe on U.S., Israeli and Jewish targets, has claimed responsibility.
Britain’s senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Vicki Evans, said police were “alive to the threat of Iranian hostile activity in the UK” and added, “We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran, as you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves.”
Kuwaiti authorities have detained Ahmed Shihab Eldin, a dual U.S. and Kuwaiti journalist who has not been seen for six weeks, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ.
The watchdog said the 41-year-old, visiting family in Kuwait, has not posted online or appeared in public since 2 March, and faces charges including spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone.
Kuwait introduced a law on 15 March that includes prison terms of up to 10 years for spreading false rumours linked to military entities, and officials did not immediately comment on his case.
CPJ called for his release, with regional director Sara Qudah saying, “Journalism is not a crime,” while U.N. official Francesca Albanese also urged Kuwait to free him, praising him as a “journalist of rare strength, integrity and compassion.”
Reuters could not independently verify the circumstances of his detention or the reported charges.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation for talks with Iran in Pakistan, ABC News reported, citing the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
President Trump has issued a severe ultimatum to Tehran, accusing Iran of a "total violation" of the ceasefire after Iranian forces allegedly fired on French and British vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
While Iran recently claimed to have closed the strategic waterway, Trump stated that the existing U.S. blockade has already shut down the passage and is costing Iran $500 million a day. He noted that global shipping is already rerouting to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Alaska to compensate for the disruption.
The President warned that "No More Mr. Nice Guy" applies if Iran rejects a "fair and reasonable" deal currently being negotiated.
With U.S. representatives arriving in Islamabad, Pakistan, tomorrow for high-stakes talks, Trump threatened to "knock out every single power plant and every single bridge" in Iran if an agreement is not reached.
Iran’s armed forces turned back two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after issuing warnings, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, linking the move to the continuing U.S. maritime blockade on Iran.
Tasnim said the vessels, sailing under the flags of Botswana and Angola, were forced to change course after what it described as an “unauthorised transit” through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force commander, Majid Mousavi, said Iran is now replenishing and updating its missile and drone launchers faster than it did before the war with the U.S. and Israel, Reuters reports, citing Nournews.
The U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on 28 February, with one stated aim being to neutralise Iran’s missile strike capability.
His comments were published alongside an edited video showing him inspecting what was described as an underground missile facility, with footage of drones, missiles and launchers inside subterranean sites, and missile launches from the ground. Reuters said it could not independently verify the video.
Turkey’s foreign minister said both Iran and the U.S. still have the will to continue negotiations, as talks move closer to completion. He said most issues have been settled, but “a couple” of disagreements remain and that an extension of the ceasefire is needed.
Iran’s intelligence agency said on Sunday it has arrested 51 people in Kerman city in the southeast, accusing them of links to the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom in what it described as “espionage and sabotage networks”.
According to Iranian authorities, the detainees were involved in intelligence gathering, armed organisation and inciting unrest, adding that several alleged spy cells and affiliated groups were identified and dismantled as part of the operation.
Hezbollah via social media
Defence minister of the Houthi-led government, Mohammed al-Atifi said on Sunday that Houthi forces in Yemen are on “high alert” to confront any aggression, warning the group is prepared to escalate as part of the wider regional conflict.
In a statement, he said recent fighting demonstrated coordination across what he described as the “resistance axis” against U.S. and Israeli forces.
The Iran-aligned movement, which entered the war in late March with missile and drone strikes on Israel, has vowed to continue attacks and warned it could target maritime traffic in the Red Sea, opening another front in the crisis.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump has no justification to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights.
Quoted by the Iranian Student News Agency, the Iranian president questioned Trump’s authority to restrict what he described as Iran’s lawful rights, saying the U.S. president had not explained any wrongdoing to justify such demands.
The remarks come as tensions remain high over Iran’s nuclear programme alongside broader negotiations linked to the ongoing regional conflict.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a message read on Iranian state television, said the navy is ready to inflict “new bitter defeats” on the United States and Israel, amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
At least two merchant vessels reportedly came under gunfire, according to shipping sources and media reports.
Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for accountability over the attack that killed a French peacekeeper and wounded three others in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the ministry said it “totally rejects” targeting peacekeeping forces, describing the incident as a violation of international law, and expressed condolences to France over the death of its citizen.
It also stressed the need to hold those responsible accountable, reaffirming Kuwait’s support for the work of UNIFIL in maintaining security and stability in the region.
UNIFIL said on Sunday that one of its patrols came under a deliberate small-arms attack in the village of Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon while clearing explosive ordnance from a road to reach a cut-off position.
The UN peacekeeping force said the fire came from a non-state group, without naming it, though French officials including President Emmanuel Macron have directly blamed Hezbollah.
The incident has been condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Hezbollah has denied responsibility and called for a Lebanese army investigation, which is expected to take time.
The Israeli military said on Sunday (19 April) that one soldier was killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon, while nine others were wounded, including one who was seriously injured.
The IDF did not provide further details on the incident.
Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said, in remarks carried by Iranian state media on Sunday, that Iran’s armed forces had struck 180 drones and targeted a U.S.-made F-35 fighter jet. He described Tehran’s military capabilities as growing.
Qalibaf said the incident involving the F-35 was not isolated but reflected broader technical and design advancements, adding that a missile explosion near the aircraft demonstrated Iran’s capabilities and future direction.
United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper held talks on Saturday focusing on the regional situation amid the ongoing Iran war, according to the UAE Foreign Ministry.
The two sides discussed broader developments in the Middle East and what Abu Dhabi described as “unprovoked and terrorist” attacks by Iran against the UAE and other Gulf states.
The ministry said Cooper reaffirmed the UK’s solidarity with the UAE and support for measures to protect its sovereignty and security, while Sheikh Abdullah expressed appreciation for Britain’s stance.
The UK Foreign Office did not immediately issue a separate statement on the meeting.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said late on Saturday that Iran and the United States remain far from reaching a final agreement, despite some progress in ongoing negotiations.
Speaking to state television, the Iranian parliamentary speaker said certain issues had been resolved while others remain outstanding.
Tehran also announced it would close the Strait of Hormuz again, citing “repeated breaches of trust” as the U.S. maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Iranian officials had earlier proposed a fee system for vessels seeking secure passage through the waterway, with priority given to those who comply. Qalibaf described the situation as a strategic advantage for Iran, saying that while the adversary retains resources, it has been “defeated” strategically.
Iran plans to gradually reopen its airspace in four stages, according to Tasnim News Agency, citing a senior official from the Civil Aviation Organization.
The first phase will allow transit flights, followed by departures from eastern airports, then operations from Tehran’s main hubs, and finally flights from western airports.
Authorities said ticket sales remain suspended for now and urged the public to follow official announcements for updates. No specific timeline has been given for when the phased reopening will begin.
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including ...
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional ...
The global housing crisis has reached what UN officials describe as “staggering” proportions, with nearly...
The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) opened in Baku with ministers, UN officials and urban policy leaders. Participants call for ...
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanita...
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 16th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a new global financial crisis as the Tehran-Washington standoff around the strategic Strait of Hormuz persists.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire that has reduced fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The agreement came as two days of Washington-facilitated talks concluded with a decision to hold further meetings in the coming weeks.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment