Iran Demands Urgent Release of Seized Ship Amid Tensions with US Forces

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong demand for the immediate release of an Iranian-flagged commercial vessel and its crew following a confrontational maritime incident involving US forces. Reports from the Iranian state media, Tasnim news agency, detailed the boarding and seizure of the container ship, Touska, on Sunday—a move Tehran decries as a significant escalation in the region's tense maritime dynamics.

Iran's foreign ministry formally condemned the American operation, labelling it an 'assault on an Iranian commercial vessel' and expressing grievances over the taking of hostages. A statement emphasized the urgent need for the unconditional release of the sailors, crew, and their families, warning that such US actions threaten to destabilize the already volatile Middle East.

The developments come after US Central Command released footage of the operation, showing Marines deploying from the USS Tripoli to intercept Touska in the Gulf of Oman. The Pentagon claimed the vessel violated a US naval blockade, prompting warnings and an eventual disabling of its systems, leading to a boarding operation deemed by the US as 'deliberate, professional, and proportional.'

(With inputs from agencies.)