Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired on three ships and seized two container vessels within the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, in a dramatic escalation of tensions
Footage purportedly confirmed masked troopers boarding the ships (Picture: -)
Panama condemned what it described because the “unlawful seizure” of the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, declaring it a grave assault on maritime safety. In footage aired by Iranian state broadcasters, armed troopers have been seen approaching one of many vessels through a small boat earlier than scaling a ladder to board it.
The footage depicted the troopers brandishing their weapons as they swept via the ships. No accidents to the crew members of both vessel have been reported.
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The Guard additionally launched an assault on a 3rd vessel, recognized because the Euphoria, which had reportedly turn out to be “stranded” alongside the Iranian shoreline, in keeping with Iranian media, although no additional particulars have been offered. The strikes got here only a day after Trump prolonged a two-week ceasefire whereas sustaining an American blockade of Iranian ports.
The continued standoff between the US and Iran has successfully strangled almost all exports passing via the strait — via which 20% of the world’s traded oil flows throughout peacetime — with no decision in sight.
Video footage broadcast on Iranian state tv purportedly captures the chilling second masked Islamic Revolutionary Guard troops boarded and commandeered two vessels within the Strait of Hormuz, simply hours after Donald Trump prolonged a fragile ceasefire.
Iran fired upon three ships and seized two of them within the very important waterway on Wednesday. The captured vessels have been the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, each container ships.
Technomar, the administration agency behind the Liberian-registered Epaminondas, confirmed it was “approached and fired upon by a manned gunboat” off the Omani shoreline, including that the ship’s bridge had sustained injury. A second cargo vessel got here underneath hearth a number of hours later, with no injury reported, earlier than it was delivered to a standstill within the water.
Iran’s IRGC Navy Seizes Non-Compliant Container Ships in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s IRGC Navy has intercepted and detained container ships violating laws within the strategic Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/k8zQ5YFQKw
— Tasnim Information Company (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 23, 2026
Iranian media reported that the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was transporting each vessels to Iran, signalling an extra escalation, though the White Home insisted the seizures didn’t breach ceasefire phrases.
Iran’s seizure of the ships did not violate truce phrases as a result of “these weren’t US or Israeli ships, these have been two worldwide vessels,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed Fox Information Channel.
The assaults comply with a sudden shift in Iran’s place over the weekend, after the Iranian international minister introduced on Friday that the strait was open, solely to be contradicted the next day by the Revolutionary Guard.
Greater than 30 assaults on vessels throughout the Center East have been recorded for the reason that US and Israel launched the battle on February 28 with a shock offensive in opposition to Iran. Previous to that time, the strait had remained open to all maritime visitors.
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