US Navy Stops Tanker Enforcing Iran Blockade; Tehran Calls It "Armed Robbery On The High Seas"

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]The US blockade operations are continuing. The US Navy has now stopped another tanker. So on one hand you have Iran making it clear that we're ready for talks. On the other hand you have the US Navy that has continued its action on ground. The US Navy has stopped a tanker uh USS Rafael Peralta is in action with Taran uh the tanker headed for Iran port being intercepted.

[00:00:26]Uh it has been confirmed as well from the US Central Command. And here is what it says with an image attached. It says guided missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta enforces the US blockade of Iranian ports against after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port. The date also mentioned here the 26th of April is when it was halted. What does it indicate? Is this also the reason why Iran is also saying that the talks must be speedened up? Iran, meanwhile, has accused the United States of piracy after American forces seize two tankers uh said to be carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. Iran called the action armed robbery on the high seas out of violation of international law. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson accusing Washington of legitimizing piracy, saying the seizures amounted to the outright legalization of uh piracy and armed robbery on the high seas.

[00:01:29]So mayank uh on one hand you have Iran saying that we can continue the talks or at least indicating that there should be talks but clearly on ground that doesn't seem to be the situation because tankers have been stopped and Iran has also escalated the attack going on to say that uh this is piracy this is unacceptable this is robbery is what they've called it >> in in every case what we can easily surmise is that there is no movement in state of form moves as far as things are concerned on ground because on one side the the regulation and control stands in the hands of Iran. On the other side whatever moves towards Iran or comes out from Iran is will be blockaded. Not only that as you have brought out Rafal is one of the tankers or merchant vessel which is has been blocked by one of the missile frigates, missile destroyers of US. It is because every vessel which moves across which is called as white water shipping in in that way trade in shipping involves that white water shipping actually. So a ship can be flagged uh registered anywhere but the movement can be easily found out. So in this case US is tracking the movement of every ship which is vessel which is moving that side. That's how they can easily make out which ship is moving towards which side and they can stop it if it is moving towards Iran or coming out of Iran. That's how the things are.

[00:02:51]So it is virtually choked. Everything is choked there. And having said that now the proposal as we were talking actually the proposal from Iran side is also sort of a doable which can be done immediately. That's how the things are.

[00:03:03]It is a calibration a move to calibrate the entire talks. It can be viewed from that perspective and if it sounds better US can come down to a level that even uh the talks on nuclear aspects can be postponed for some time.

[00:03:17]>> Okay. All right. Stay with us man just a moment. Uh let's also get our viewers what Iran is actually saying. We also got you what Scott Bessent is saying.

[00:03:25]But here is what Iran has said and uh this is the outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery is what they've called it on the high seas. Welcome to the return of pirates only. Now they operate with governmentissued warrant sail under official flags and call their plunder law enforcement. And the United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior which strikes at the heart of international laws and international free trade and threatens the basic principles of maritime security. This is what Iran has said. Uh we also have Ashok Sajjinhar ambassador joining us on the broadcast.

[00:04:02]Thank you for joining us. Uh ambassador, the reason why the round one of talks didn't really proceed anywhere between US and Iran was because of this lack of trust. And we're looking at the words that are coming in from the US from Iran that clearly indicates that even now there's very little trust between the two nations with the kind of statements that have been coming in from both US and Iran. Is there any indication that there will be a letup anytime soon?

[00:04:27]Well, I sincerely do hope so and I hope that there is some back channel discussions that are going on which will you know they are both of them are speaking in a more civilized manner.

[00:04:38]both uh Iran as well as the United States are outdoing each other in being very very uh uh you know using the most extreme language and bluster to describe what the other person is what the other country is doing. For instance, you know what you just read out that uh Iran has talked about piracy and violation of international law. Well, what Iran itself has done by blocking the state of Hormos is not following any international law itself. It is also violated.

[00:05:16]>> And uh as far as the US actions are concerned, it might be only Iran is suffering. But as far as what Iran has done, the whole world is suffering. And has it followed any international law by you know bombing all the Gulf states? So I think it needs to look inwards itself uh Iran before sil starts >> pointing fingers at the other.

[00:05:42]>> Okay.

[00:05:43]>> So this is I think what we see the problem with both of them. They are pointing fingers at each other not looking at what uh are the wrongs that they have committed because >> the United States has also committed very many wrongs. in the back channel discussions. I do hope that they start talking in a more responsible way.

[00:06:05]>> Yes, one can only hope. But meanwhile, the prices are going up. The world is suffering and we continue to wait.

[00:06:10]Ambassador, thank you for joining us on the