Iran vows retaliation after U.S. ship seizure and says 'no decision' yet on new peace talks

EVENT ENDED Last updated April 21, 2026, 12:41 AM EDT Iran vows retaliation after U.S. ship seizure and says 'no decision' yet on new peace talks Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. negotiators are set to travel to Pakistan for a new round of talks, but Tehran's participation is unclear. U.S. strikes, seizes Iranian tanker it says defied Hormuz blockade 01:58 Save Add NBC News to Google Updated April 21, 2026, 12:41 AM EDT By NBC News Coverage of this live blog has ended. Follow live updates here. What to know U.S. SEIZES SHIP: Iran's military vowed to retaliate after the U.S. Navy fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz as part of the American military blockade. PEACE TALKS IN DOUBT: While Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. negotiators appeared set to travel to Pakistan for a new round of peace talks, Iran's Foreign Ministry said "no decision has been made" on whether to hold new talks. TRUMP'S NEW THREATS: With the ceasefire set to end Wednesday, President Donald Trump threatened to "knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran" if there is no deal. MARKETS RATTLED: The price of oil jumped sharply and stock futures tumbled as the renewed tensions over the critical Strait of Hormuz trade route added to days of dramatic ups and downs. DEATH TOLL: Iran’s forensics chief said nearly 3,400 people had been killed in the country since U.S.-Israeli strikes began Feb. 28. More than 2,200 people have been killed in Lebanon, 32 have been killed in Gulf states, and 23 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes. INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber . NEW UPDATES 88d ago / 12:41 AM EDT Iran condemns U.S. seizure of ship and demands crew's release The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, describing it as “piracy” and an “act of aggression” against Iran and demanding the crew be immediately released. According to state media, the ministry called the Sunday night seizure of the Touska commercial vessel an “illegal and brutal act” that “constitutes piracy and a terrorist action.” It said the seizure near Iran’s coast in the Sea of Oman was “another clear breach” of the two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which expires Wednesday. U.S. officials said the Touska was attempting to breach a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and that it had been seized after six hours of repeated warnings. The Iranian foreign ministry said it had brought the matter to the attention of the United Nations, and that Iran would do everything in its power to defend its national interests and security. “Clearly, full responsibility for any further escalation in the region lies with America,” it said. 88d ago / 9:33 PM EDT CENTCOM posts photos of seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship U.S. Central Command posted photos on X today of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that was seized on Sunday. One photo shows a large cargo ship with containers on the deck streaming black smoke. A second photo appears to show the same ship from a distance with an American military vessel nearby. "U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska, April 20, as the Iranian-flagged vessel’s container cargo is searched after U.S. Marines boarded and seized the ship when it attempted to violate the U.S. naval blockade," CENTCOM said in the post on X. 88d ago / 8:31 PM EDT Iran will face serious problems if it does not negotiate, Trump says Trump said that if Iran does not negotiate the country will face serious problems. “Well, they’re going to negotiate. And if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before," Trump said in an interview on the John Fredericks Show. "And they’re going to negotiate, and hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up.” 88d ago / 7:37 PM EDT U.S. ambassador to Lebanon meets with Lebanese leaders U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa met today with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri after meeting with Trump in Washington, D.C. Last Tuesday, a historic meeting took place between Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh. It was the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades and resulted in the agreement of a fragile 10-day ceasefire. 88d ago / 6:43 PM EDT 3 U.S. aircraft carriers likely in the Middle East soon The U.S. is on track to have three aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East in the coming days. The USS Abraham Lincoln CSG is in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, supporting the blockade. The USS Ford CSG is in the northern Red Sea. It’s been deployed for roughly 300 days, one of the longest deployments in history. Both have been supporting the war in Iran (the Ford was derailed by a fire but is back underway). And now the USS George HW Bush is near Madagascar and expected to continue to transit north to the Arabian Sea in the coming days. Notably, the Bush departed Virginia on March 31 and rather than travel east — through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal and into the Red Sea — the ships traveled southeast and went all the way around Africa, extending their transit time but avoiding the dangerous Bab al-Mandab Strait, where the Houthis have threatened to target ships. The Bush will likely swap out the Ford so they can finally head home, but there’s expected to be an overlap where the U.S. will have 3 carrier strike groups in the Middle East for a time. 88d ago / 5:52 PM EDT Iran will not accept negotiations 'under shadow of threat,' Iran parliament speaker says Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran will not accept negotiations with the U.S. while under threat. "Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, seeks, in his view, to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering," he wrote in a post on X . "We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threat, and over the past 2 weeks we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield." Ghalibaf led the Iranian delegation in talks with Vice President JD Vance in Islamabad, Pakistan last week. 88d ago / 5:36 PM EDT Iran will take 'appropriate decisions' to protect interests, Araghchi tells Russian foreign minister Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke on the phone today to discuss the regional conflict. Araghchi mentioned the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attack on an Iranian container ship, calling it "unlawful behavior" and accusing U.S. leaders of acting in a way that contradicts diplomacy, semi-official SNN news agency . Iran "will take appropriate decisions to safeguard its national interests and security," Araghchi told Lavrov, according to the outlet. Lavrov emphasized the need to maintain the ceasefire between Iran, the U.S. and Israel, and said Russia would help facilitate agreements between Iran and Gulf countries, according to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry also said that Iran "reaffirmed its readiness" to allow the unimpeded transit of Russian vessels through the strait. 88d ago / 4:48 PM EDT CENTCOM shares videos warning vessels of Strait of Hormuz blockade U.S. Central Command shared a video on X today showing a helicopter warning vessels about the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "This blockade of Iranian ports will be enforced and applies to all vessels, regardless of flag," an individual is heard saying in the audio. "Any vessel with further intent to enter, exit an Iranian port will be subject to the right of visit and search in accordance with international law. If you attempt to run the blockade, we will compel compliance with force, over." Since the start of the blockade, the U.S. army has directed 27 vessels to turn back or return to an Iranian port, according to CENTCOM. 88d ago / 4:05 PM EDT Iran reopens airports amid ceasefire, semi-official Tasnim news agency says Iran has reopened Tehran's Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Ten other airports — in the cities of Urumia, Kermanshah, Abadan, Shiraz, Kerman, Rasht, Yazd, Zahedan, Gorgan and Birjand — are expected to be in operation starting on Saturday, the outlet reported. 88d ago / 3:14 PM EDT Trump defends war with Iran, says he is winning 'BY A LOT' Trump went on a Truth Social messaging spree today, publishing four posts in about an hour focused on defending the war with Iran and slamming the “Fake News” coverage of it. In the first post, Trump said that the deal that his administration is working on will be better than the nuclear deal that former President Barack Obama struck with Iran in 2015, though he did not provide any details on how it would significantly differ. "The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to as 'The Iran Nuclear Deal,' penned by Barack Hussein Obama and Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the Worst Deals ever made having to do with the Security of our Country. It was a guaranteed Road to a Nuclear Weapon, which will not, and cannot, happen with the Deal we’re working on," Trump wrote . In the second post , Trump said he is not under pressure to make a deal with Iran. "I read the Fake News saying that I am under 'pressure' to make a Deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!" he wrote. "Time is not my adversary, the only thing that matters is that we finally, after 47 years, straighten out the MESS that other Presidents let happen because they didn’t have the Courage or Foresight to do what had to be done with respect to Iran." Show more In the third post , Trump said that he is "winning a War, BY A LOT, things are going very well" and that the "Fake News" media is making it seem that the U.S. is losing the war. Trump added that "THE BLOCKADE, which we will not take off until there is a 'DEAL,' is absolutely destroying Iran." In the fourth post , Trump seemed to say that Iran's restrictions on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz are benefiting the U.S. "The Iranian leadership has forced hundreds of Ships toward the United States, mostly Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to get their Oil — Thank you very much! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote. 88d ago / 1:31 PM EDT 66 anti-war protesters arrested on Capitol Hill A large group of anti-war protesters were arrested at an office building for members of Congress this morning after chanting and holding signs against the war with Iran. Capitol Police said approximately 66 people were arrested. They're accused of illegally protesting inside the Cannon House Office Building. The group was holding signs that said “END THE WAR ON IRAN” and “WE CAN’T AFFORD ANOTHER WAR,” with the group chanting, “Not another nickel, not another dime!” and “Donald Trump is a war criminal!” “The veterans and military families here today represent three generations of U.S. wars, from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf and the global war on terror, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” one of the protesters said before he was arrested. “We are here because we are weary of war. We are sick and tired of war, yet our political leaders to take the fourth generation to war. We say don’t do these wars.” 88d ago / 1:22 PM EDT IDF attacks southern Lebanon due to 'imminent threat' The