Iran condemns US for 'piracy' in Sea of Oman

Iran's permanent mission to the UN on Tuesday condemned the US for conduct bearing "the hallmarks of piracy" after US military forces attacked an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman.

"On 19 April 2026, in the vicinity of the coasts of Iran in the Sea of Oman, U.S. military forces carried out a hostile and unlawful attack against the Iranian commercial vessel 'Toska,'" according to a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the presidency of the UN Security Council.

Emphasizing that "this attack against a civilian vessel constitutes a grave and manifest violation of the fundamental principles of international law," the mission said the conduct involved "acts of coercion, intimidation, and the reckless endangerment of the vessel's crew and their families."

"The deliberate intimidation and psychological terror inflicted upon the crew and their families further compound the egregious nature of this act," the letter said, noting that "such conduct bears the hallmarks of piracy in nature and amounts to a dangerous escalation that severely endangers the safety and security of vital shipping lanes."

Tehran further characterized the attack as "a clear and material breach of the ceasefire of 8 April 2026" and an act of aggression under UN resolution 3314, a landmark UN definition that classifies the attack on another state's naval vessels as an act of aggression.

Iran demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the vessel, its crew, and their families, calling on the Security Council and the secretary-general to "take an immediate, firm, and principled position" by condemning the incident and ensuring full accountability.

The letter warned the incident "poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security" and represented "a dangerous escalation" that, Tehran said, further "exacerbates the already volatile situation."