By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD / WASHINGTON - An Iranian container ship seized last month by US naval forces for allegedly violating Washington's naval blockade on Iranian ports has been transferred to Pakistan, where its 22 crew members will be repatriated, American outlet ABC News reported on Monday, citing US Central Command.

The development marks the latest escalation in a growing maritime confrontation in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States and Iran have been locked in a tense standoff since the outbreak of war between the US-Israeli alliance and Tehran on February 28.

According to a report by Dawn newspaper citing Reuters, AFP, and ABC News, US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed that American forces had completed the transfer of 22 crew members of the M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation. Six other passengers -- whom Iranian state media identified as family members of some of the crew -- were transferred to a regional country for repatriation last week.

"Custody of Touska is currently being transferred back to its original ownership after the ship was intercepted and seized when attempting to violate the US naval blockade against Iran last month," Hawkins said, as quoted by ABC News.

The M/V Touska, a small container vessel belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group -- which has been subject to US sanctions -- was boarded and seized by US forces on April 19 off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman.

At the time, US Central Command stated that the ship's crew "failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period." In a statement, CENTCOM said American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel that it was in violation of the US blockade.

Iran's foreign ministry swiftly condemned the incident, calling it "unlawful and a violation of international law" and demanding the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors, and their families. Iran's military accused the United States of "armed piracy," noting that the ship had been travelling from China when it was intercepted.

The seizure occurred against the backdrop of a near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, through which approximately 20 percent of global petroleum passes.

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on February 28, Tehran has effectively blocked the strait. Some vessels attempting to transit have reported being fired upon, and Iran has seized several other ships. In response, the United States imposed its own naval blockade on vessels originating from Iranian ports.

The standoff has stranded hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers, according to the International Maritime Organisation, creating a humanitarian and commercial crisis in the Gulf.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced a new initiative dubbed "Operation Freedom," which he said would begin on Monday to help free ships stranded in the Gulf. Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump provided few details but said the operation would aid vessels and their crews that have been "locked up" in the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies.

"We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," Trump wrote.

According to a statement from US Central Command, the operation will be supported by 15,000 US military personnel, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, along with warships and drones. The command said the mission aims to "restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping" through the strait.

- Iranian Warning

Trump's announcement drew an immediate warning from Tehran. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran's parliament, posted on X that any US attempt to interfere in the strait would be considered a breach of the ongoing ceasefire.

"Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire," Azizi said.

The fragile ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan in early April, has held nominally but remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of violations. Iran has maintained its effective control over the strait, while the US continues to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports.

The transfer of the M/V Touska's crew to Pakistan -- a country that has positioned itself as a key mediator in the conflict -- suggests that diplomatic channels remain open despite the military brinkmanship. Pakistan has not yet commented on its role in the repatriation process.