Updated on: Apr 20, 2026 3:21:42 PM IST
US navy guided missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
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In immediate response to the US strike, Iranian forces reportedly hit back with drone attacks, PressTV reported.
Soon after, a spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters decried the US attack as “a flagrant act of aggression”. Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that the Islamic Republic “will soon respond to this armed piracy and retaliation of the US army”.
What about peace talks?
Trump said the US team of negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, sparking hopes for an extension of a ceasefire that is set to expire on Wednesday.
However, Iranian officials are not planning to attend the talks with the US, reported state media.
“There are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks,” said Iranian sources, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Later, Iran’s state-run IRNA also announced on X, “Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire.”
Strait of Hormuz status
Over 20 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. This is the highest number of ships crossing the waterway since March 1.
Five of the ships that transited on Saturday carried loaded cargoes from Iran, with products ranging from oil to metal. Three of them are liquefied petroleum gas carriers, with one each heading to China and India.
Curbs on Iran oil come ‘with a price’, says Tehran
Iranian vice president Mohammad Reza Aref said that global fuel prices could stabilise only if economic and military pressures on Iranian oil exports were stopped.
“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Aref wrote in a post on X. “The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone,” he added.
Oil prices on Sunday surged in early trading amid a standoff between Iran and the US.
Follow all the updates here:
Apr 20, 2026 3:21:42 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran military vows retaliation for US attack on Iranian vessel, calls it ‘armed piracy’
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s Joint Military Headquarters of Khatam ul Anbiya has warned of retaliation for the attack on an Iranian ship, calling it “armed piracy,” Al Jazeera reported.
While both sides are engaging in diplomacy to some extent, there has not yet been a complete cessation of hostilities at any point.
Apr 20, 2026 3:07:48 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Trump told Pak army chief Munir he will consider his advice on Hormuz, says Pak source
US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump has told Pakistan army chief Asim Munir that he will consider his advice on the Strait of Hormuz blockade being a hurdle to peace talks, Reuters news agency reported citing a Pakistani source.
Trump and Munir held a phone call earlier.
Apr 20, 2026 2:25:58 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Trump accuses Tehran of violating ceasefire, says report
US Iran war LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump has reportedly said that Iran has committed a “serious violation” of the ceasefire but a peace deal is still possible.
“It will happen. One way or another. The nice way or the hard way. It’s going to happen. You can quote me,” ABC reporter Jonathan Karl cited Trump as saying, in a post on X on Sunday.
Apr 20, 2026 2:04:28 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Removing nuclear stockpile was never an option, says Iran
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that removing the nuclear stockpile from the Islamic Republic was “never an option in negotiations”.
Tehran’s definitive position is to preserve nuclear achievements within its territory, said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
Apr 20, 2026 1:59:58 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Washington not serious about pursuing diplomacy, says Tehran
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the United States was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called “violations” of their two-week ceasefire.
“While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviours that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.
He said that the US attack on an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Oman and the US naval blockade on Iranian ports were all “clear violations of the ceasefire”.
Apr 20, 2026 1:57:52 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Will take necessary action against US, say Iran armed forces
US Iran war LIVE updates: A spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces said that the troops are ready to confront the United States after its “aggression” against an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The spokesperson said that Iran’s response was delayed due to the presence of crew families on board the vessel.
He added that Iran will take necessary action against the US after ensuring the safety of the crew and their families.
Apr 20, 2026 1:55:22 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Gaps over Tehran’s nuclear work remain, says report
US Iran war LIVE updates: A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Monday that differences over Iran’s nuclear programme still remain, adding that Tehran’s ‘defensive capabilities’, including its missile programme, are not open to negotiation with the US.
Apr 20, 2026 1:53:45 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: No decision made on next round of talks, says Tehran
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States.
“As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press briefing.
Apr 20, 2026 1:52:24 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Continuation blockade undermines peace talks, says senior Iran official
US Iran war LIVE updates: A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the continuation of the US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz undermines the Iran-US peace talks.
Apr 20, 2026 1:51:00 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: China will play constructive role, says current stage critical
US Iran war LIVE updates: The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday described the current state of the US-Iran talks as “critical, adding that Beijing will play a “constructive role” in the negotiations.
Apr 20, 2026 1:33:16 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Over 3,300 have died in Iran during war
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran on Monday offered a new death toll for the war with Israel and the US, with its forensic chief saying at least 3,375 people had been killed in the conflict.
Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organisation, said only four of the dead remain unidentified, according to judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
Apr 20, 2026 1:18:41 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Distrust in talks with Washington were ‘undeniable necessity’, says Pezeshkian
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that every rational and diplomatic path should be used to reduce tensions with the US, while stressing that vigilance and distrust in interactions with Washington were “undeniable necessity”, according to state media IRNA.
Apr 20, 2026 12:58:15 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil jumps over 5% amid renewed tensions
US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil prices surged more than 5 per cent on Monday amid renewed tensions between Iran and the United States.
Brent crude futures advanced 5.32 per cent to $95.19 per barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate was up 5.92 per cent to $88.81.
Apr 20, 2026 12:21:04 PM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Mojtaba Khamenei suffered minor leg injury after US-Israelis strikes, says report
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei suffered a minor leg injury during the US-Israeli airstrikes on his compound, Iran International reported, citing a senior Iranian official.
Azim Ebrahimpour said Khamenei was in the compound’s grounds at the time of the attack and was lightly hurt by the blast wave from a missile. Speculations about his health and injuries are false, he said, adding that it was to create division.
Apr 20, 2026 11:49:07 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Tehran ensures safety of passage through Hormuz under legal regime, says envoy
US Iran war LIVE: The Iranian ambassador to Moscow has said that Iran ensures the safety of passage through the Strait of Hormuz under a legal regime, Reuters reported.
“Iran ensures safety of passage. Based on the security measures and the legal regime of the Strait of Hormuz, ships and vessels can pass through,” said Ambassador Kazem Jalali.
Apr 20, 2026 11:26:42 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Israel urges south Lebanon residents to avoid restricted areas
US Iran war LIVE updates: The Israeli military on Monday warned residents in southern Lebanon not to move south of a specified line of villages or approach areas near the Litani River, saying its forces remain deployed in the area during a ceasefire.
Apr 20, 2026 11:06:58 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Tehran executes two men accused of involvement in Israel’s Mossad
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran executed two men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and planning attacks inside the Islamic Republic, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported on Sunday.
Mizan said the two, identified as Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi, were accused of belonging to a spy network linked to Mossad and had received training abroad, including in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Apr 20, 2026 10:30:49 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian lawmaker says Tehran will “never” relinquish” control of strategic Strait of Hormuz
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran has once again asserted that it will never surrender its authority over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, maintained that the narrow waterway would remain under the comprehensive control of the Islamic Republic, Press TV reported.
Azizi said that Iran’s authority over the Strait is an “inalienable right”.
Apr 20, 2026 10:09:47 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Israel says image of soldier striking Jesus statue in Lebanon is authentic
US Iran war LIVE updates: The Israeli army said on Monday that it had determined an image circulating on social media that shows a soldier in south Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus Christ is authentic and depicts one of its troops.
The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off of a cross.
via AFP
Apr 20, 2026 9:47:08 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Security preps underway in Islamabad for possible peace talks, says report
US Iran war LIVE updates: Security preparations are underway in Islamabad, Pakistan, as the city braces for possible talks between Iran and the United States, reported Al Jazeera.
Parts of the Pakistan capital, including the heavily guarded Red Zone, have been placed under lockdown with roads closed and security tightened.
Apr 20, 2026 9:36:10 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: India’s NSA visits Saudi Arabia in outreach to key energy suppliers
US Iran war LIVE updates: India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Saudi Arabia over the weekend to review the regional situation against the backdrop of the West Asia conflict and to shore up India’s energy security.
Doval’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday came close on the heels of external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s trip to the United Arab Emirates and petroleum minister Hardeep Puri’s trip to Qatar. These visits are part of New Delhi’s outreach to key energy suppliers amid disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Apr 20, 2026 9:17:12 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil tanker exits Hormuz, heads to South Korea’s Hyundai Oilbank, shows data
US Iran war LIVE updates: An oil tanker is reportedly heading to discharge its cargo at South Korean refiner Hyundai Oilbank after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, shipping analytics firm Kpler’s data showed.
The Malta-flagged Odessa passed the narrow waterway on April 13. The tanker, which can carry one million barrels of oil, had its AIS tracker switched off and reappeared on April 17 near the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah port, LSEG data showed.
Apr 20, 2026 9:04:48 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Over 20 vessels pass Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, shows data
US Iran war LIVE updates: More than 20 vessels reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. This is the highest number of ships transiting the waterway since March 1.
Apr 20, 2026 8:52:56 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: IRGC takes control of Iranian military and diplomacy, says report
US Iran war LIVE updates: The hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has effectively seized control of Iran’s military apparatus and diplomatic negotiation teams over the weekend, reported The New York Post, citing regional analysts.
IRGC Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and his inner circle have allegedly assumed leadership of the Islamic Republic.
Apr 20, 2026 8:35:32 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil prices surge amid uncertainty over ceasefire
US Iran war LIVE updates: Oil prices surged on Monday morning amid uncertainty over an extension of the current ceasefire and the truce talks between Iran and the US.
Brent Crude rose by 4.72 per cent to $94.65 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate climbed 5.51 per cent to $88.47.
Apr 20, 2026 8:20:43 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran dials Pak PM, complaints of US’ ‘bullying behaviour’
US Iran war LIVE: Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian spoke to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Pezeshkian told Sharif that US actions, including bullying and unreasonable behaviour, have led to increased suspicion that the US will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy”.
Apr 20, 2026 8:06:52 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Vibe-trading digital oil is like vibe-hedging, says Ghalibaf
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf said in a post on X, “Vibe-trading digital oil is like vibe-hedging in treasuries during Hormuz risk-off. Both share one house of cards that works on paper.
Difference: oil at least has Dated Brent. Treasuries? Vibes all the way down.”
He also shared a new formula: “EUCRBRDT Index GP
Apr 20, 2026 8:03:26 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran turns back two oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian Armed Forces intercepted two oil tankers sailing under the flags of Botswana and Angola in the Strait of Hormuz and turned them back.
The developments come amid further escalation following Iran’s confirmation that a US operation targeted an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman. Iran’s Hazrat Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters accused Washington of “violating the ceasefire and committing maritime piracy” and said the vessel had been seized.
“We warn that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” it said.
The statement followed claims by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that American forces intercepted and disabled the Iranian-flagged vessel TOUSKA in the Arabian Sea after it allegedly violated a naval blockade. (ANI)
Apr 20, 2026 7:46:41 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 3 in Caribbean Sea
US Iran war LIVE updates: The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people Sunday.
The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in the past week or so, showing that the administration’s aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. (AP)
Apr 20, 2026 7:37:16 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Tehran says restrictions on Iranian oil come with a price
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, said global fuel prices could stabilise only if economic and military pressures on Iranian oil exports end.
“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Aref wrote on X. “The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone.”
Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the US prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The price of US crude oil increased 6.4 per cent to USD 87.88 per barrel after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 6.5 per cent to USD 96.25 per barrel. (AP)
Apr 20, 2026 7:33:42 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian forces launch drones toward US warships after attack on commercial ship in Sea of Oman
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iranian forces launched drones towards US warships following an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iranian media.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has claimed that US forces stationed in the Sea of Oman were forced to retreat after firing at an Iranian merchant vessel, Press TV reported.
Citing Mehr news agency, Press TV reported that US forces operating in the region targeted an Iranian merchant ship in an attempt to compel it to return to Iranian territorial waters.
According to the report, the incident took place amid heightened maritime tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz and movement of international shipping vessels. (ANI)
Apr 20, 2026 7:29:47 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Trump says US negotiators will head to Pak on Monday
US Iran war LIVE updates: President Donald Trump said that his negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran.
At first, Trump said “no” to vice president JD Vance going to the talks in at least two interviews. However, the White House later told another news channel that Vance “will attend” the talks in Pakistan along Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Apr 20, 2026 7:26:16 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Tehran slams US’s ‘flagrant’ attack on Iranian vessel
US Iran war LIVE updates: Iran slammed the United States for the “flagrant act of aggression” it carried out on an Iranian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman, saying that US deployed “its terrorist marines onto the ship’s deck and disabled its navigation systems”.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said, “The aggressor United States violated the ceasefire and committed maritime piracy by firing at an Iranian merchant ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman and landing a number of its terrorist marines on the deck of the vessel, disabling its navigation system.”
“We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond to this armed piracy and retaliation by the US army,” PressTV cited him as saying.
Apr 20, 2026 7:18:05 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE updates: Trump says Iranian-flagged ship, trying to breach US blockade, seized
US Iran war LIVE updates: An Iranian-flagged cargo ship was intercepted and subsequently seized in the Gulf of Oman after it tried to get past the naval blockade imposed by the US near the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said on Monday. Subsequently, Iran reportedly vowed a swift response against what it called “armed piracy”.
The US President said that that USS Spruance, a guided missile destroyer gave the vessel a “fair warning” to stop but when the Iranian crew didn’t listen, the ship stopped them by “blowing a hole in the engine room.
According to the US President, the Iranian ship, Touska, was nearly 900 feet long and weighed almost “as much as an aircraft carrier”. Following the interception, Touska is now under the US Marines custody.
“The TOUSKA is under US Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!,” Trump said in a Truth Social Post.
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