Iranian Military: "U.S. Firing on Iranian Merchant Ship Violates Ceasefire... Retaliation Coming Soon" (Update)

No Specific Timing Disclosed

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s Joint Combat Headquarters (Khatam al-Anbiya), stated in a press release on the 20th (local time) that "The Iranian military will soon respond and retaliate against the U.S. military’s armed acts of piracy." However, he did not specify an exact time frame or further details.

On the 18th (local time), a container ship was waiting in the waters near Iran. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On this day, he said, "The United States has violated the ceasefire, committed acts of maritime robbery, and opened fire on an Iranian merchant vessel in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, paralyzing its navigation system and deploying numerous marines onto the ship’s deck."

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy had seized the Iranian cargo ship ‘TOUSKA’. Through his social media platform Truth Social, he stated that "the U.S. Marine Corps is currently detaining the vessel," adding that "the TOUSKA is subject to sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department due to its history of illegal activities."

U.S. Central Command also provided a detailed explanation on its official website regarding the enforcement of the maritime blockade. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111), traveling at 17 knots in the northern Arabian Sea, intercepted the TOUSKA as it was heading toward Bandar Abbas, Iran. The U.S. military explained that after the crew of the TOUSKA failed to respond to repeated warnings over six hours, the Spruance ordered the engine room to be evacuated. The destroyer then used its 5-inch MK45 naval gun to fire several rounds at the engine room, disabling the propulsion system, after which U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the ship.

The U.S. military further reported that, since the United States began its maritime blockade against Iran, a total of 25 merchant vessels have been diverted or sent back to Iranian ports. The blockade was initiated at 10 a.m. on the 13th (Eastern Time), which corresponds to 11 p.m. on the 13th in Korea, centered around the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the United States and Iran were expected to enter into a second ceasefire agreement on the evening of the 20th, just one day before the expiration of the "two-week ceasefire" period. However, this latest clash has increased uncertainty over the negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.