U.S. prepares to seize Iran-linked ships in international waters - WSJ

The U.S. military is preparing to begin boarding Iran-linked oil tankers and seizing ships in international waters in the coming days, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.

The decision is designed to increase economic pressure on Tehran, forcing it to open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping and make concessions on the nuclear program, the publication notes. Since the start of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, the U.S. has forced the deployment of 23 ships attempting to pass the Strait of Hormuz. Expanding the operation beyond the Persian Gulf means the U.S. Navy will be able to detain ships carrying Iranian oil and weapons around the world.

U.S. President Donald Trump is optimistic that a naval blockade of Iranian ports combined with other economic pressure measures will help broker a peace deal, a White House spokeswoman told the WSJ.

The Iran-US ceasefire agreement expires in three days. The date of a new meeting between the U.S. and Iranian negotiators has not yet been set. The Axios publication quoted sources as saying that Trump called a meeting in the White House Situation Room on the morning of April 18 to discuss the renewed crisis over the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran. According to a senior US official, the war could resume in the coming days if a breakthrough does not emerge in the meantime.

Iran on Saturday again closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, less than a day after announcing the opening of the corridor. Several commercial vessels attempting to cross the strait were fired upon.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor