Trump: US has seized Iranian cargo ship on eve of peace talks — BBC News

[0:00] Donald Trump says U.S. Marines have seized a vessel in the Gulf, which tried to break the [0:05] American blockade of Iranian ports. He's posted on social media that U.S. forces stopped the ship [0:11] by blowing a hold in its engine room. It's not clear if there were any casualties. It comes [0:16] ahead of a U.S. delegation, including the vice president, visiting Pakistan for further talks [0:21] with Iran as the end of their two-week ceasefire draws closer. Well, Liz Doucette is live in the [0:27] Iranian capital for us and reporting on condition that none of her material is used on the BBC's [0:33] Persian service. These restrictions apply to all international media organizations operating [0:38] inside the country. Liz. Well, it's still not clear what impact this U.S. seizure of an Iranian vessel [0:48] in the Strait of Hormuz will have on those preparations for a second round of high-level [0:53] talks. Iranian media had, Iranian officials had already been responding with a stony silence [1:00] to that swirl of media reports coming out of the United States that the talks would take place [1:05] on Tuesday. But Iranian media linked to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards had said [1:11] no decision to attend would be taken as long as the U.S. maintained that naval blockade of [1:18] Iran's ports. Now, last weekend in Islamabad, Iran waited until the 11th hour to confirm its [1:25] attendance. But this time, the delay is about that strategic strait. And for Iran, it's a top issue [1:33] at the talks. The calm waters of the world's most consequential battlefield, the Strait of Hormuz. [1:41] Thousands of ships trapped, waiting for Iran to open this waterway, for the U.S. to end its naval [1:48] blockade. Today, President Trump fired off another post. We are offering a very fair and reasonable deal, [1:57] and I hope they take it. Because if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single [2:04] power plant and every single bridge in Iran. No more Mr. Nice Guy. But there are growing voices here [2:13] saying Tehran's presence in the strait is permanent. A leading lawmaker tells us it's an asset against the [2:21] enemy. Will Iran ever give up its control of the Strait of Hormuz? Certainly not. Certainly not. [2:31] We believe this is our inalienable right. We are preparing a plan to be approved by Parliament, [2:38] with comprehensive regulations ruling passage through the strait to be implemented by the armed forces. [2:45] Even your neighbors, with whom you had good relations before the war, are saying this is [2:51] international waters. And this is an act of piracy. [2:55] Today, America is the world's biggest pirate. [3:00] Tehran, a city in waiting. Sanctions and war strangled this economy. Only a deal can end both. [3:13] You feel it at this state pharmacy. People didn't want to speak to us on camera, [3:21] but they told us they're paying more for their medicine. [3:24] The drugs Iran produces are still in stock, but imported drugs are harder to find, including insulin. [3:37] And there's another worry for some Iranians. Security has tightened. The eyes of the state are everywhere. [3:43] There are people in the squares supporting the government, but there are also young Iranians being arrested in waves of arrests. [3:53] There are young Iranians being executed for their part in the protests. And there is a fear that, after the war is over, [4:02] that this internal repression will get worse. [4:07] I think you probably haven't been given the correct analysis regarding the situation in Iran. We are at war, even though there is a ceasefire and there are rules. [4:21] We do speak to young people here who tell us that they are still angry and pained by what happened in January, the crackdown which caused many thousands of deaths. [4:37] Today, Iran is a free country. It is very free. [4:43] The fate of this strait is a top issue in these talks, but there's a growing sense Tehran sees it not just as a bargaining chip, but long-term leverage it wants to keep. [4:56] Lise Doucette, BBC News, Tehran. [5:00] Well, Simi Jalaioso is live in Washington for us now. Any more, Simi, on what happened with that Iranian vessel that was seized by the U.S. Marines in the Gulf? [5:11] Yeah, well, President Trump says U.S. Marines now have custody of that Iranian-flagged cargo ship that it seized in the Gulf of Oman after it tried to get past the American naval blockade there. [5:26] He says a U.S.-guided missile destroyer, the U.S. Esperance, issued a warning for the vessel to stop and, when it refused, blew a hole in the engine room. [5:37] Now, President Trump has said that naval blockade will remain in place until a deal has been reached. [5:42] And he's really dialed up his rhetoric again today, threatening to strike Iran's power plants and bridges. [5:50] His latest threat raises the stakes. It risks creating a more volatile environment, especially when both the negotiations and the ceasefire appear quite fragile. [6:02] Now, the coming days may be critical in determining whether diplomacy will hold. [6:09] But the White House has framed this next round of talks as a sort of final diplomatic off-ramp before a potential return to a full-scale regional war. [6:21] Thank you.