CoinWorld News reports that on April 21, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly condemning the U.S. military's attack on an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on the 19th, and demanded that the United States immediately release the detained vessel and crew members. According to Iranian media, the statement said that attacking an Iranian cargo ship and taking the crew hostage is an act of piracy and terrorism, a blatant violation of the ceasefire consensus between the two countries, and is also viewed as an act of aggression against Iran. The statement warned the U.S. that attacking an Iranian cargo ship could lead to very dangerous consequences. "It is clear that the entire responsibility for the further escalation of the regional situation lies with the United States."