Last UpdateApril 20, 2026, 11:48 AM EDT
A U.S. Navy destroyer fired on an Iran-flagged tanker vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as President Donald Trump’s blockade on Iranian ports continues to be enforced. Plans for peace talks in Pakistan appear uncertain amid the tensions.
Covered by: Anders Hagstrom
WHAT TO KNOW
- The U.S. Navy fired on the Iran-flagged M/V Touska tanker in the Arabian Sea on Sunday, disabling its engines and later seizing the vessel.
- Tehran officials condemned the seizure as “armed piracy” and vowed retaliation.
- Peace talks with Iran were expected to begin in Pakistan on Tuesday, but recent reports from Iranian state media have thrown the meetings into doubt.
- The fragile 2-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran will expire on Wednesday, and there has been no news on extending the truce.
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3 hours ago
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Iran explains why no one fought back as US forces boarded ship
The command of Iran’s military, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, offered an explanation for why Iranian forces did not fight back as U.S. forces boarded and seized an Iran-flagged vessel on Sunday.
“Due to the presence of some family members of the ship’s crew, they faced constraints in order to protect their lives and ensure their safety, as they were in danger at every moment,” Khatam al-Anbiya said.
The U.S. ultimately disabled the engines of the M/V Trouska and seized the vessel without incident.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
2 hours ago
Expert predicts thousands of US troops would be needed to secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium
Andrew Weber, a national security expert, revealed on Sunday that removing Iran’s highly enriched uranium would likely take thousands of U.S. troops and experts to evacuate the material from the country.
Weber served as the assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs under former President Barack Obama and played a role in removing enriched uranium from Kazakhstan that was left behind by the Soviet Union.
CBS News’ Cecilia Vega asked Weber during a “60 Minutes” interview if the same sort of mission would be possible in Iran.
“In Iran, we couldn’t send a team in to do this unilaterally without great risk,” he said. “You would need to set up in the middle of the country a secure perimeter. It would probably take thousands of U.S. troops to secure the facility while our experts excavated the HEU that’s located inside deep tunnels at a place called Isfahan.”
Matthew Bunn, a nuclear policy analyst and former White House adviser, said forces in the U.S. have been training for something like this.
“It’s not like Iran hasn’t thought about the possibility that we might do this. But U.S. Special Forces have been training for deep underground facilities of one kind or another for a long, long, long time,” Bunn told CBS.
Vega also asked about President Donald Trump, after the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facility in 2025, saying that Iran’s program had been completely obliterated.
“Yeah, that statement is just not true,” Bunn said. “You can’t say that a program that still has enough nuclear material for a bunch of nuclear bombs is obliterated. Unfortunately. There’s no doubt that the combination of the strikes in June of last year, and the ongoing war, have seriously set back Iran’s capabilities. But the remaining capabilities are substantial. You can’t bomb away their knowledge.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
2 hours ago
The US delegation plans to travel to Islamabad soon, source says
A U.S. delegation plans to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan for peace talks with Iran on Monday, a source familiar with the plans told Fox News Digital.
The White House said this weekend that Vice President JD Vance will lead the delegation, joined by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
The news comes amid mixed messages surrounding Iran’s plans to participate in Talks. Pakistani officials said Iran had expressed willingness to attend, but Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday said they had no plans to participate due to certain demands by the U.S. side.
Vance held talks with Iran last week, but they ultimately collapsed without making progress.
Fox News’ Pat Ward contributed to this report.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
2 hours ago
US destroyer warns tanker ship about Iranian blockade in new audio
U.S. Central Command released audio of a U.S. Navy destroyer broadcasting warnings to an oil tanker in the Arabian Sea on Monday.
President Donald Trump ordered the blockade last week amid a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
“Since the commencement of the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
3 hours ago
Trump hits back at ‘pundits and polls’ on Iran, predicts ‘amazing’ results
(Truth Social)
President Donald Trump lashed out at media pundits and polls over their commentary around the war in Iran.
Trump made the statement in a post to his Truth Social account, urging Iran’s leaders to accept a peace deal with the U.S.
“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did. I watch and read the FAKE NEWS Pundits and Polls in total disbelief. 90% of what they say are lies and made up stories, and the polls are rigged, much as the 2020 Presidential Election was rigged. Just like the results in Venezuela, which the media doesn’t like talking about, the results in Iran will be amazing – And if Iran’s new leaders (Regime Change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future!” Trump wrote.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
3 hours ago
Israel and Lebanon set date for second round of peace talks: report
Israel and Lebanon are set to begin a second round of peace talks later this week, Israeli media reported Monday.
The talks are reportedly expected to begin on Thursday. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted peace talks between the two nation’s last week, but they are not expected to play a role in this week’s talks.
Lebanon and Israel agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after their U.S.-mediated talks in Washington.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
4 hours ago
WATCH: US Marines rappel from chopper to seize Iranian ship
The U.S. military released footage of Marines boarding and seizing an Iran-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea on Monday.
The footage shows Marines from a U.S. destroyer rappelling down from a helicopter onto the deck of the M/V Touska tanker. This operation came after a 6-hour standoff with the Iranian vessel, which saw the U.S. destroyer open fire to destroy the Touska’s engines.
No U.S. Marines were injured in the operation.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
4 hours ago
Xi Jinping calls for Strait of Hormuz to open in phone call with Saudi crown prince
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday and called for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened for trade.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning gave a readout of the call in a statement on X.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Saudi Arabia comprehensive strategic partnership. Taking it as an opportunity, China stands ready to work with Saudi Arabia to continuously increase the scope and depth of our bilateral relations, and set a fine example for the relations between China and Arab states,” Ning wrote.
“On the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, China calls for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, supports all efforts conducive to restoring peace, and stands for resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means,” she continued.
“The Strait of Hormuz should maintain normal passage, as this serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community. China supports regional countries in building a common home of good-neighborliness, development, security, and cooperation, holding their future in their own hands, and promoting lasting peace and security in the region,” she added.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
4 hours ago
Distress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Emma Bussey.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
5 hours ago
Iran’s foreign ministry says it has no plans to participate in Pakistan peace talks
Iranian officials have no plans to participate in peace talks with the U.S. in Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday.
“If the U.S. sends a team to Islamabad, that is a matter that concerns them,” Baqaei said in a press conference.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept any deadlines or ultimatums to safeguard its national interests. We have clearly stated our red lines from the beginning, and we will not change our principled positions,” Baqaei said.
“In none of the stages of current or previous negotiations was the issue of transferring Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles to the U.S. or any other country raised, and fundamentally this option is not on the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
6 hours ago
Iran vows retaliation after US seizes cargo ship: ‘ARMED PIRACY’
Iranian officials vowed retaliation after the U.S. fired upon and seized an Iranian vessel in the Arabian Sea on Sunday.
Officials condemned the move as “armed piracy.”
“We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” read a statement from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
7 hours ago
Netanyahu condemns IDF soldier pictured destroying statue of Jesus in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the actions of an IDF soldier pictured destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon on Monday.
Netanyahu wrote in a post on X that Israel “cherishes” the values of “tolerance and mutual respect” between religions.
“Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” Netanyahu wrote.
“Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender. While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all,” Netanyahu continued.
“We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world,” he added.
The IDF says it completed an investigation into the incident on Sunday which determined the photograph was authentic. The image showed a soldier striking a statue of Jesus on the cross with a sledge hammer.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” The IDF said in a statement on X.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
7 hours ago
Pakistan peace talks uncertain after Iranian state media reports Tehran’s refusal to participate
Iranian state media says Tehran has rejected taking part in peace talks with the U.S. in Pakistan, initially scheduled for Tuesday.
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to travel to Pakistan on Monday envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The White House has not responded to reports of the Iranian withdrawal.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
7 hours ago
Navy fires on Iranian-flagged vessel amid blockade violation in six-hour Straits standoff
CENTCOM confirmed Sunday that the U.S. Navy fired into the engine room of an Iranian-flagged vessel after it allegedly violated a maritime blockade. The command also highlighted a six-hour standoff with the tanker in the Arabian Sea.
In a post shared on X, the command said the action followed repeated warnings.
“U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, April 19,” CENTCOM said.
The command described how a guided-missile destroyer, USS Spruance (DDG-111), intercepted the vessel, M/V Touska, as it transited the North Arabian Sea at 17 knots en route to Bandar Abbas, Iran.
“American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” CENTCOM said.
After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, the command explained how Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room.
“Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room,” CENTCOM said before adding that U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit “later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody.”
“American forces acted in a deliberate, professional, and proportional manner to ensure compliance,” it said.
Since the blockade’s commencement, U.S. forces have directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port, CENTCOM added.
Fox News’ Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom
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