The Truth Social post leaves no doubt about the turn of events. Trump confirmed this Sunday that the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long, as it tried to break through the American naval blockade.

The operation was blunt. After the Iranian crew refused to stop despite the warning, the US Navy opened fire on the ship’s engine room, immobilizing it on the spot. US Marines took control of the cargo ship and are currently inspecting its contents.

The TOUSKA already carried a compromising record. The Treasury Department had previously sanctioned it for “illegal activities”, as the president himself pointed out. It weighs almost as much as an aircraft carrier and represents a key piece of Iran’s commercial apparatus under pressure.

The paradoxical part is the context. Hours earlier, Trump had announced that his representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling tomorrow to Islamabad to negotiate peace with Iran. At the same time, he threatened to destroy “every power plant and every bridge” if Tehran does not accept the deal.