The Iranian Army has denounced the US attack on an Iranian ship near the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the ceasefire and claimed to have responded by launching drones against American ships.
Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to pass through the naval blockade of Hormuz. Subsequently, the US Armed Forces specified that they issued "repeated warnings" for six hours, after which the US destroyer ordered the evacuation of the ship's engine room and fired shots to disable its propulsion.
During Monday morning, the Iranian army spokesperson issued a statement calling the attack an "act of maritime piracy" and added that "after the US attack, Iranian forces also attacked US military ships with drones," without providing further details.
Iran has not yet decided whether to send its negotiating team to Pakistan
Iran stated on Monday that it currently has no plans to participate in a new round of negotiations with the United States, a country that announced it will send its negotiating team to Pakistan today.
"At the moment, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations, and no decision has been made in this regard," said the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ismail Bagaei, as reported by Efe.
Iran will never relinquish control of Hormuz, according to one of its leaders
Iran will never give up control of the Strait of Hormuz because it is an "inalienable right" of Tehran, stated Ebrahim Azizi, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and president of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Parliament.
"Iran will decide on passage rights, including permits for ships to transit through the strait," a matter that is about to be established by law, added the politician in statements to the British channel BBC, as reported by Efe.
Iran executes two men for alleged links to Israeli espionage
Iran executed two men on Monday convicted of alleged links to Israeli espionage, reported the judiciary, in the latest of a series of executions carried out since the outbreak of the war with Israel and the United States.
"The death sentences of Mohamad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out this morning," stated the Mizan website of the judiciary, as reported by Afp.
The Israeli army urges residents of southern Lebanon to avoid restricted areas
The Israeli army warned residents of southern Lebanon on Monday not to travel south of a certain line of villages or approach areas near the Litani River, as reported by Reuters. It indicated that its forces remain deployed in the area during the ceasefire due to what it described as persistent Hibullah activity.
In a statement, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee also asked the civilian population not to return to several border towns until further notice, citing security reasons.
Iran will continue dialogue with the US, but no confirmation of the trip to Pakistan
The President of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, stated on Monday that Tehran will continue talks with Washington, without specifying if an Iranian delegation will be sent to Pakistan, where the US delegation is expected to travel on Monday.
When asked in an interview with Al Jazeera if Iran will send a mediation team to Islamabad, Aziz indicated that "it depends on whether Tehran receives positive signals."
The US Army releases a video of the capture of the Iranian cargo ship
The US Central Command has released a video showing the operation to intercept the Iranian ship Touska. The footage shows US Marines rappelling onto the vessel after its propulsion had been disabled with guided missiles.
Israel confirms that the soldier seen striking a statue of Jesus is from its army
The Israeli army confirmed on Monday that the soldier photographed raising a mallet to strike a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon is part of its armed forces. The soldier is seen in the image with a mallet about to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that fell from the cross, as reported by Afp.
Brent oil surges over 5% amid new tensions
Brent crude oil for June delivery surged more than 5% on Monday and exceeded $95 per barrel in the London futures market, amid new tensions between the United States and Iran, jeopardizing peace negotiations.
At 7:00 am on Monday, according to Bloomberg data collected by EFE, Brent oil, the European benchmark, rose by 5.5% to $95.35. However, during the night, it surpassed $97.
Brent rose again after plummeting more than 9% on Friday, settling slightly above $90, following Iran's announcement of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, amid the ceasefire declared in Lebanon.
Iran claims to have attacked US ships with drones
The Iranian Army denounced the US attack on an Iranian ship near the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington and claimed to have responded with drone attacks against American ships.
The spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of Jatam al Anbiya issued a statement early Monday to explain that the US "attacked an Iranian commercial ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman," "violating the ceasefire and committing an act of maritime piracy." The statement, reported by the Iranian agency Tasnim, explains that the US Army fired at the ship to disable its navigation system, and American soldiers boarded the vessel. "After the US attack, Iranian forces also attacked US military ships with drones," the statement added, without providing further details.
US attacks and captures large Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that US military forces deployed in the Gulf of Oman attacked, intercepted, and captured a large Iranian cargo ship attempting to breach the blockade imposed by Washington on Iranian ports.
"The Iranian crew did not respond, so our Navy ship stopped it by making a hole in the engine room. Right now, the marines have the ship in custody," explained Trump in a message posted on social media. The ship is the 'Touska,' a vessel of nearly 275 meters in length and "weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier," according to Trump. "It tried to pass our naval blockade and didn't fare very well," he recounted.