US Prepares Seizure of Iranian-Linked Ships
The United States is preparing to board and seize Iranian-linked ships, aiming to exert pressure on Tehran and force the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military has drawn up plans for intercepting tankers and commercial vessels in international waters, expanding its crackdown beyond the Middle East.
This move comes amid a US blockade of Iranian ports and as tensions between the two nations escalate following Iran’s recent closure of the strait. The Islamic Republic also fired on at least two container ships, prompting an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander to vow that the U.S. would face a “hard blow” if it attacked Iranian vessels.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei criticized the European Union for hypocrisy in its stance on international law, arguing that no rule prohibits Iran from taking measures to prevent military use of the Strait of Hormuz by hostile nations.