ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Monday vowed to respond after US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had intercepted and seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Sea of Oman, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran before round two of negotiations between the two countries in Islamabad.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman was “a violation of the ceasefire and maritime piracy.”

The Iranian army branch said US forces “opened fire” on the ship, disrupting navigation systems, and carried out an airborne landing on deck.

“Iranian armed forces will respond soon,” the headquarters said in a statement carried by Iranian state media.

Trump on Sunday announced that the Iranian-flagged vessel, identified as TOUSKA, tried to pass the US naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, and was subsequently struck and lateral seized by the American forces.

“The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” Trump said, adding that US Marines had taken custody of the vessel.

Trump also said the ship was under US Treasury sanctions over alleged previous illegal activity and that authorities were inspecting its cargo.