Iran seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the vital shipping lane as US President Donald Trump indefinitely paused planned strikes with no immediate sign of peace talks resuming. State-linked Tasnim news agency said the Revolutionary Guards detained the ships for alleged maritime violations, marking Tehran’s first such action since the conflict began in late February.
The Guards warned any threat to security in the strait would cross a “red line”. Earlier, a British maritime security agency reported three ships had come under fire in the area, including one that sustained heavy damage to its bridge after an encounter with an Iranian gunboat near Oman.
No casualties were reported. Trump said Washington had agreed, at Pakistan’s request, to hold off attacks to allow time for a unified Iranian proposal, but confirmed the US Navy would maintain its blockade of Iranian trade. Recent days have seen US forces seize and board Iranian vessels in the Indian Ocean.
Tehran considers the blockade an act of war and has vowed to keep the strait closed until it is lifted, disrupting a route that typically carries around a fifth of global oil and gas supplies and fuelling an energy price surge. In a show of defiance, Iran paraded ballistic weapons in Tehran, with state television broadcasting crowds and slogans asserting control over the waterway.
Pakistan continues to mediate, though planned talks collapsed on Tuesday despite both sides signalling tentative willingness. Iranian officials have yet to formally respond to Trump’s announcement, but initial reactions suggest deep scepticism, with Tehran denying it requested any ceasefire extension.
Oil prices rose following the latest incidents, reflecting mounting fears over supply disruption, as the standoff shows little sign of easing.