Middle East War Day 51: US Navy Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship - Latest Developments

In the US, President Donald Trump announced that the US guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance fired upon and seized a cargo ship, the Touska, flying the Iranian flag in the Gulf of Oman, with US Marines inspecting the vessel's contents. The incident occurs as the US and Iran vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, Trump stated that a US negotiation delegation will travel to Pakistan on the 20th to resume talks with Iran aimed at ending the war. He reiterated his threat to destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges if an agreement is not reached. White House officials noted that Vice President JD Vance will lead the delegation. On the Israeli side, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that if the Israeli military faces threats from the Iranian-backed Shiite fundamentalist militia Hezbollah, he will use 'full force' in Lebanon, even during the current ceasefire. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East conflict on March 2nd when the Iranian-backed Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military announced today the death of another soldier during operations in southern Lebanon. Despite a temporary ceasefire in effect since the 17th, fighting in the area continues. AFP statistics show that 15 Israeli soldiers have died in the six-week war between Israel and Hezbollah. Iranian state media reported that Tehran currently has no plans to participate in a new round of talks with the United States, a few hours after Trump announced he would send negotiators to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Tehran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz on the 17th due to the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but closed it again the next day due to the ongoing US blockade of ships calling at Iranian ports. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization stated that international flights will resume at the airport in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, starting the 20th local time. Given Iran's accusation that the US violated the ceasefire agreement in place since early April, the price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil rose by 7.5% to $90.17 per barrel, and Brent crude rose by 6.5% to $96.27 per barrel. The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced that security forces thwarted a cross-border attack in the southern Quneitra province, an operation allegedly planned by groups linked to Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied the accusations. The two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is set to expire on the 22nd. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed he is 'optimistic' that the ceasefire will be extended, allowing more time for negotiations between the parties. (Compiled by: Tsai Chia-min) 1150420 Keywords: International