US details seizure of Iranian-linked ships after blockade breaches

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine said US forces are enforcing a global maritime blockade on Iran, with dozens of vessels turning back.

“As of this morning, 34 ships have met the US blockade and made the wise choice to turn around,” Caine said at a Pentagon briefing.

He said US Central Command was conducting interdiction operations worldwide against sanctioned and “dark fleet” vessels, targeting any ship “of any nationality” transiting to or from Iranian ports.

Caine said one vessel, the container ship MV Touska, did not comply and was intercepted after “several clear and unambiguous warnings,” adding the crew attempted to breach the blockade before US forces moved to stop it.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran must abandon any pursuit of a nuclear weapon “in meaningful and verifiable ways,” warning that Washington would maintain pressure if it does not.

“All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing, adding Iran has “an important choice, a chance to make a deal, a good deal, a wise deal.”

He said the United States is “not anxious for a deal,” and warned Tehran could instead face “the regime’s fragile economic state collapse under the unrelenting pressure of American power… a blockade as long as it takes.”

Hegseth said US forces had already seized two Iranian “dark fleet” ships in the Indo-Pacific, adding: “They thought they’d made it out just in time. They did not… we will seize more.”

He added the blockade was expanding globally, saying “34 total non-Iranian vessels are allowed to transit,” while warning “the clock is not on their side.”

A senior Iranian cleric said no one in the country is pursuing an agreement with the United States, reflecting hardline opposition to negotiations.

“No one is even talking about an agreement with America,” Ahmad Alamolhoda, a senior cleric in Mashhad, said, adding that talks had proven “useless and fruitless.”

He said any decision rests with the leadership and dismissed the idea of concessions, saying no official would agree to give up enriched uranium, dismantle nuclear technology or limit missile capabilities.

The undercover reporter, engaging with a Telegram channel advertising “high-paid” work, was instructed to burn images of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in a London street and send video proof in exchange for cryptocurrency.

“This is the first step in building trust, and I will pay for it,” the account wrote, presenting the task as an entry point to further assignments.

Matt Jukes, the deputy commissioner of the Met Police, has warned that proxies being asked to act on behalf of Iran are easily expendable and will be dropped by their handlers as soon as police get involved.

“You’re going to prison if you do that,” Jukes said. “We are going to catch you because London, this fantastic city, is on the lookout for you.”

Recruitment mirrors known playbooks

Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent reviewer of state threats legislation, said the exchange reflected patterns seen in earlier foreign-directed cases.

“It looks straight from that sort of recruitment playbook,” Hall said. “The individual is being asked to do something that you might think is fairly minor and trivial… but presumably once you’ve done that and proved yourself, this is just the beginning.”

Security specialists said the model reflects a broader shift toward outsourcing operations to individuals motivated by money rather than ideology.

Officials warn of broader pattern

The outreach surfaced alongside recent arson attacks targeting Jewish-linked sites in London, increasing concern among officials about coordinated intimidation efforts.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “increasingly concerned” about foreign states using proxies for criminal acts, pledging to accelerate legislation addressing the issue.

Stephen Silverman of Campaign Against Antisemitism said the findings point to foreign-linked disruption. “By getting this to take root and getting people to act on it and spread fear and alarm, they are working to undermine our everyday lives,” Silverman said.

Authorities said the exchange has been passed to counter-terrorism police, underscoring warnings that seemingly minor tasks can serve as gateways to more serious criminal activity.

Iran will resume some international flights from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport from Saturday, authorities said.

Flights to Istanbul and Muscat are set to restart as airspace reopens, with several Iranian carriers expected to operate the routes.

Passenger departures and arrivals have also resumed, with further flight schedules to be updated as new approvals are issued.