Footage of an Iranian naval landing on a foreign cargo ship has deepened the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, with the continued US blockade on Iranian ports, US President Donald Trump’s threat to fire on mine-laying boats, and Israel’s threat to target Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and “return Iran to the Dark Ages.”

Published on: 04/24/2026 - 03:11 Last updated: 04/24/2026 - 16:24

On Thursday, Iran showed its tightening grip on the Strait of Hormuz by publishing a video clip of its special forces raiding a huge cargo ship, following the collapse of peace talks on which Washington had pinned its hopes of opening one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

For his part, US President Donald Trump downplayed the threat posed by Iran's "arrogant little ships" and told reporters that he believes Tehran wants to conclude an agreement, but its leadership is in, as he described it, a state of turmoil.

The US President also made it clear that he was not in a rush to reach an agreement, stressing that if Iran did not show a desire to do so, “I would end the matter militarily.”

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Earlier, Iranian television broadcast footage of masked soldiers approaching the cargo ship (MSC Francesca) in a gray speedboat, then climbing a rope ladder to a door in the ship’s hull and entering it while drawing their rifles.

The footage, which was shown without voiceover and accompanied by a soundtrack similar to that used in action films, also showed scenes of another ship, the Epaminondas, while Iran announced on Wednesday that it had detained the two ships for trying to cross the strait without permits.

The seizure of the ship reveals that the United States, despite its military superiority, is facing difficulty in imposing its control over the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump and American military officials stressed that the Iranian navy is “at the bottom of the sea,” but Tehran has proven that it is still capable of causing major disturbances in the oil markets, knowing that a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the strait before the outbreak of war.

According to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, on Thursday, air defense systems were activated to confront what was described as “hostile targets” in various areas of Tehran, after reports of the activation of air defense batteries in the city.

Read also: Who actually rules Iran and who makes the decisions?

On the economic front, US stocks witnessed a decline in volatile trading on Thursday, affected by the latest developments in the war, while the dollar recorded a slight increase.

In another report, the Iranian Fars News Agency reported that the defense systems in Tehran and several other cities responded to small drones, including Orbiter aircraft, in various locations inside the country.

It is not yet known who is responsible for launching these drones.

While the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran stopped on February 28 under a ceasefire, Israel returned today to threaten to resume attacks.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that his country is waiting for a “green light” from the United States to resume the war, threatening that if this green light is issued, Israel will begin targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and “return Iran to the dark ages.”

Katz stressed in a statement issued by his office that "the attack this time will be different and bloody and will direct devastating strikes at the most sensitive sites."

Conflict over the strait

Iran confirms that it will not consider opening the Strait unless the United States ends the blockade imposed on its ports during the ceasefire period, a measure that Tehran described as a violation of that truce.

Trump announced this week his willingness to extend the ceasefire, which lasted for two weeks, indefinitely to allow more time for peace talks, but he stated Thursday that he had issued orders to the Navy “to shoot and destroy Iranian boats laying mines in the strait,” in addition to intensifying mine clearance operations.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump confirmed that the United States has “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the waterway will remain “tightly closed” until Iran reaches an agreement.

During subsequent statements at the White House, Trump acknowledged that Iran may have strengthened its arsenal “a little” during the ceasefire period, but stressed that the US military is capable of eliminating those capabilities within approximately one day.

His response to a question about how long he wanted to wait to reach a long-term peace agreement was by saying, "Don't rush me. I want to reach the best agreement. I could conclude an agreement now... but I don't want that. I want an agreement that lasts forever."

On the other hand, official Iranian media quoted officials in Tehran denying what they described as allegations made by Trump about the existence of divisions within the Iranian leadership. Supreme Leader Khamenei wrote in a post on the X platform that media operations “by enemies” aim to undermine unity and national security.

In terms of naval operations, Washington - which intercepts Iranian ships in international waters as part of imposing the unilateral blockade it declared - announced that its forces boarded another oil tanker, the Majestic, in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, in what appears to be a reference to a giant oil tanker that was last seen off the coast of Sri Lanka carrying two million barrels of crude oil.

The US Army reported that its forces had changed the course of 33 ships since the start of the blockade.

Inside Iran, the head of the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, stated that the commercial ships that were subjected to attacks in the Strait “were subject to the law,” explaining that Iranian speedboats and drone boats take refuge in sea caves off an island close to the entrance to the Strait, which prevents the US Navy from approaching.

Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hamid Reza Haj Babaei, also said that the first batch of Strait crossing fees that Iran began collecting from ships had been transferred to the Central Bank, without providing details about the party that paid the fees or the date or value of the transfer.

The extension of the truce has not yet been officially announced, and no specific plans have yet been put forward for new rounds of talks.

A source in the Pakistani government explained that Islamabad, which hosted the only round of peace talks in this war this month and was preparing for a second round before canceling it on Tuesday, is still in contact with both sides.

The same source indicated that Iranian officials still refuse to commit to sending a delegation, and attribute this to the American blockade imposed on their country.

At the global economic level, studies published today, Thursday, showed that the international economy is facing increasing pressures as a result of the energy shock, with factories suffering from high production costs and a decline in activities even in the service sectors.

France 24/Reuters

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