CENTCOM releases images of US seizure of Iranian-flagged vessel
US Central Command has released images showing American forces patrolling near the Iranian-flagged vessel M/V Touska after Marines boarded and seized the ship.
In a post on X on Monday, CENTCOM said US forces searched the vessel’s container cargo after it attempted to violate the US naval blockade.
The photos shared with the post show US personnel and vessels operating around the ship during the operation on April 20.
CENTCOM said the vessel was intercepted and boarded by US Marines before its cargo was inspected at sea.
Iran’s lead negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will not negotiate under threats and warned it has spent the past two weeks preparing new options on the battlefield.
“By imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, Trump wants to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or justify renewed warmongering," he posted on X.
"We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and over the past two weeks we have been preparing to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
The office responsible for preserving and publishing the works of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei has urged authorities to coordinate with it before naming streets or public places after him or members of his family.
The statement came after Tehran’s city council approved a proposal to rename Azadi Street in honor of Khamenei.
In a message posted online, the office said any such naming should first be coordinated with it and warned against “hasty actions” in the process.
Wall Street pulled back from record highs on Monday while oil prices surged as rising tensions over the Strait of Hormuz raised concern that the fragile US-Iran ceasefire may not hold.
All three major US stock indexes lost ground, and the Nasdaq ended a 13-day winning streak, which is its longest since January 1992.
The equity losses were modest, however, as investors remained hopeful that a deal between Washington and Tehran could still emerge.
Ongoing optimism about solid first-quarter corporate earnings also helped limit the sell-off.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that any nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States would be meaningless without UN oversight.
“Without verification, any agreement is no agreement. It’s an illusion of an agreement,” he told The Telegraph, stressing that the IAEA is “the only” body capable of ensuring compliance.
He also warned that the world is at risk of a new nuclear arms race amid rising conflict and instability.
Grossi said global tensions could lead to a “crack in the system” of non-proliferation and trigger a domino effect in which “as many as 20 states” pursue nuclear weapons.
“There is talk about ‘friendly proliferation’... a world with 20 nuclear weapon states or more would be extremely dangerous,” he said, warning the international order is in a “very, very fragile position.”
Grossi said the current “atmosphere of fragmentation, conflict, polarization” could push countries to reconsider nuclear options if they feel insecure.
Bread shortages and steep price hikes are undermining access to a key staple for many in Iran, with citizen accounts received by Iran International describing long lines, flour shortages and prices far exceeding official rates.
“Many bakeries are facing flour shortages and cannot keep up with long lines of customers,” a resident from Malard west of Tehran said.
Another account said: “Right after the war, bread prices doubled. Barbari (a type of Iranian bread) is now 250,000 rials and Sangak is 350,000. Subsidized flour has been removed.”
The reported prices are far above official rates, with the latest approved price for Sangak at about 76,000 rials and Barbari around 55,000.
April 20 marks National Wheat and Bread Day in Iran, meant to highlight the central role of wheat in daily life, but accounts point to worsening conditions for a basic staple.
Conflicting claims on wheat supply
Wheat self-sufficiency has long been a goal promoted by many officials of the Islamic Republic. The first celebration of wheat self-sufficiency was held on November 16, 2004, during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami.
However, this self-sufficiency did not continue in subsequent years for various reasons, including water shortages, and Iran remained reliant on wheat imports. Still, the aspiration for self-sufficiency has continued to be repeated in officials’ statements.
Now, 22 years after the first “self-sufficiency celebration,” as buying bread is becoming an economic challenge for citizens, Ataollah Hashemi, head of the National Wheat Farmers Foundation, has once again reiterated the goal. Speaking on Saturday, April 18, he said: “The country will not need to import wheat this year.”
Yet official customs data shows Iran imported about 2.75 million tons of wheat worth nearly $1 billion in the 10 months to February 2026. The imports were sourced largely from Russia, as well as through intermediaries such as the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
The reliance on intermediaries, which are not major wheat exporters themselves, points to complications tied to banking restrictions and payment channels, increasing costs through additional transport and fees.
The gap between official statements and import figures raises questions about the sustainability of domestic production and the credibility of self-sufficiency statements.
File photo of a baker handing stacks of Sangak flatbread to customers at a neighborhood bakery.
Rising costs and policy pressures
Bread prices have increased across provinces in the current Iranian year that began on March 21, following subsidy cuts and the move toward a single flour pricing system. Prices now vary depending on flour type and region, with some bakeries selling above official rates.
Despite parliament approving a budget that allocates more than 5,000 trillion rials (over $3 billion) for bread subsidies, no new national price list has been issued for the current year. As a result, last year’s rates remain in effect, while enforcement appears inconsistent.
Inflation and shortages
Before the latest conflict and US-Israeli strikes, annual inflation had already exceeded 70 percent, with food inflation reaching triple digits. Official data shows bread and cereals recorded year-on-year inflation of about 140 percent.
The removal or reduction of subsidized flour in parts of the market has added to the pressure, with more bakeries operating under higher-cost “free flour” systems.
Citizen reports suggest the combined impact of shortages and rising prices is becoming more visible. Long queues at bakeries and inconsistent supply have emerged alongside sharp increases in retail prices.
For many households, bread remains a primary food source, making these changes particularly significant.
The accounts from Tehran and other areas point to a broader strain across the country, where access to basic goods is increasingly shaped by rising costs, uneven supply, and policy shifts that have yet to stabilize the market.
