"With the 'ceasefire deadline' approaching, Iran closes the strait again, the US seizes a ship for the first time, and both sides are seeking 'bargaining chips' for negotiations."

"With the 'ceasefire deadline' approaching, Iran closes the strait again, the US seizes a ship for the first time, and both sides are seeking 'bargaining chips' for negotiations."

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The deadline for the two-week ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran is approaching, and military confrontation between the two sides has suddenly escalated in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. Iran announced renewed restrictions on strait shipping, while the US for the first time used force to seize an Iranian cargo ship. Both sides are attempting to accumulate more bargaining chips through extreme pressure ahead of a potential new round of peace talks.

According to Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News and others, the US delegation has arrived in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, possibly to prepare for a new round of Iran-US talks. US Vice President Vance plans to lead a delegation to Pakistan this week to promote Iran-US peace talks, but Iranian official media denied the "second round of talks", stressing that as long as the US continues its maritime blockade, Iran will refuse to return to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, according to Xinhua, US President Trump posted on social media, saying that on the 19th, US forces intercepted and seized an Iranian cargo ship attempting to break the US naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman. Iranian military, however, gave a completely different account, claiming they succeeded in forcing US forces to retreat.

Behind the tense military friction, internal differences between Iran's civilian leadership and military hardliners on the bottom line for concessions to the US are becoming increasingly public.

According to media reports, a senior adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran stated clearly that this paramilitary force is not opposed in principle to resuming negotiations, but its core demand is for Iran to have greater bargaining power at the negotiating table. Based on this consideration, the IRGC decided to again strongly restrict commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend, characterizing it as direct retaliation against the Trump administration's continued blockade of Iranian ships.

Extreme Pressure, Naval Confrontation Escalates

As the ceasefire agreement is set to expire on Tuesday night, Iran and the US are moving from blockades to direct maritime clashes.

According to Xinhua News Agency, citing Trump's social media remarks, the US guided missile destroyer "Spruance" intercepted an Iranian cargo ship called "TOUSKA" in the Gulf of Oman. Trump said the US ship blasted a hole in the vessel's engine room to force it to stop, and the US Marines are now in control of this 274-meter-long cargo ship, which is under US Treasury sanctions. This is the first time US forces have used force to seize an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

In response to this incident, Iran's reaction showed a strong confrontational posture. According to Xinhua, quoting Iran's Mehr News Agency, US forces in the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Oman on the 19th fired upon an Iranian merchant ship, attempting to force it back to Iranian territorial waters. The IRGC naval unit arrived promptly on the scene to assist the Iranian merchant vessel, forcing US forces to retreat and leave the area. The report did not mention the name of the Iranian merchant ship.

Iran's Internal Policy Divisions Highlighted, Hardliners Seek Leverage

According to The Wall Street Journal, recently, Iran's civilian leadership and hardliners in the IRGC have publicly split on how much to compromise with the US.

A senior adviser to the IRGC in Tehran said the paramilitary force is not opposed in principle to resuming negotiations, but wants Iran to have greater bargaining power in the talks. This adviser stated that for this reason, the IRGC decided to strongly restrict shipping in the Strait of Hormuz again this weekend to retaliate against Trump's decision to continue blocking Iranian ships.

An Arab official in the region said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is seeking a major deal with the US that would ultimately normalize relations between the two countries. However, IRGC leaders hope to exclude discussions about Iran’s military strength and its support for affiliated militia groups across the Middle East from the talks.

Negotiation Deadline Nears, Diverging Statements Emerge

While both sides are using military means to gain leverage, their statements regarding a new round of peace talks are increasingly ambiguous.

According to CCTV News, the White House has confirmed that US Vice President Vance will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, together with Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. President Trump even stated that if an agreement can be reached, he is "very likely" to go to Islamabad personally. Reports say the US advance security team is already on standby in Islamabad.

However, Iranian officials quickly cooled the US’s optimism.

According to Xinhua quoting an exclusive report from Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency, the news of a second round of negotiations in Islamabad is untrue, and Iran refuses to participate in talks. Tasnim News Agency emphasized that as long as the US continues the naval blockade, negotiations will not take place. Iranian media accused the US of making excessive and unrealistic demands, and believed the US is releasing negotiation news purely for media manipulation, aiming to pressure Iran.

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