US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of committing numerous violations of the fragile ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, citing gunfire directed at foreign vessels

News Desk/DNA

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of committing numerous violations of the fragile ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, citing gunfire directed at foreign vessels, including those linked to France and the UK, over the weekend.

Trump warned of severe consequences if talks fail, stating the US could target Iranian power plants and bridges, while noting that American envoys are heading to Pakistan for fresh peace negotiations as the current truce nears expiration.

In a related development, US forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indo-Pacific region without incident, part of ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions on vessels involved in illicit shipments, with the Pentagon confirming the operation on a ship tracked from the Caribbean.

Qatar has emphasized that resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis is a collective regional responsibility, involving coastal states and major users of the waterway. Officials stressed that the strait’s security must not be threatened by any party and that there should be no preconditions for reopening it.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Navy commander met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss diplomatic efforts aimed at repatriating the bodies of sailors killed during recent naval incidents, including those from the frigate IRIS Dena sunk earlier in the conflict.

The head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has appealed for urgent help for thousands of seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, around 20,000 seafarers and roughly 2,000 ships have been trapped in the vital waterway, leading to severe stress, fatigue, and isolation. Speaking at a maritime conference in Singapore, Dominguez urged shipping companies to provide remote mental health support, while praising countries that have set up helplines and delivered food aid. He called for more personal outreach to help sailors feel less isolated as the IMO works on safe evacuation plans once security conditions allow.

The situation remains highly fluid, with diplomacy continuing alongside military and humanitarian pressures in one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.