Iran says it seized 2 ships in Strait of Hormuz, hours after Trump’s ceasefire extension

 Iran says it seized 2 ships in Strait of Hormuz, hours after Trump’s ceasefire extension

Iranian forces seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media, just hours after President Donald Trump initially calmed fears of renewed violence by extending his ceasefire with Iran indefinitely.

The Iranian seizures represent a serious escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, where a battle for control of the vital waterway had emerged as a major stumbling block in negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Trump announced the ceasefire extension Tuesday night in a social media post just as the deal was due to expire, to allow Iran’s “seriously fractured” leadership time to “come up with a unified proposal” to end the war. The move was announced with no new concession by Tehran — a sign that the president is eager for a way out of what has become an increasingly costly and unpopular war.

The United States also escalated its naval operations against Iran over the weekend. Touska, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, was taken by U.S. forces as it moved west through the Arabian Sea, seemingly headed for Iran. And on Tuesday in the Indian Ocean, U.S. forces seized a tanker ship suspected of smuggling oil and escorted at least one other vessel off India’s western coast.