US Marines on Tuesday boarded a commercial ship in the Arabian Sea that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said. The M/V Blue Star III was released by US forces "after conducting a search and confirming the ship's voyage would not include an Iranian port call," Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X. "American forces continue to operate and enforce the blockade across the Middle East. So far, 39 vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance," the military command added. The post included a video clip showing a helicopter hovering over the vessel as Marines roped down onto shipping containers stacked on its deck. Tehran's forces effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway -- a key route for oil and gas shipments -- after the start of the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran on February 28. The United States announced its blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough and started enforcing it on April 13. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters earlier this month that the blockade will last "as long as it takes," while top US military officer General Dan Caine said it "applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) The M/V Blue Star III was released by US forces "after conducting a search and confirming the ship's voyage would not include an Iranian port call," Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X. "American forces continue to operate and enforce the blockade across the Middle East. So far, 39 vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance," the military command added. The post included a video clip showing a helicopter hovering over the vessel as Marines roped down onto shipping containers stacked on its deck. Tehran's forces effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway -- a key route for oil and gas shipments -- after the start of the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran on February 28. The United States announced its blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough and started enforcing it on April 13. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters earlier this month that the blockade will last "as long as it takes," while top US military officer General Dan Caine said it "applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition
US Marines on Tuesday boarded a commercial ship in the Arabian Sea that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said. The M/V Blue Star III was released by US forces "after conducting a search and confirming the ship's voyage wou…
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.