Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and directed them toward Iranian shores, hours after Donald Trump said the United States would extend a ceasefire with Iran.
In a statement, the Guards said the vessels, identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, had violated maritime regulations and endangered navigation by manipulating their tracking systems.
It said the ships were detained and escorted to Iran’s coast, adding that disruption to security in the Strait of Hormuz was a “red line,” referring to the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Vessels under fire
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier on Wednesday that two cargo vessels were fired upon in separate incidents in the strait.
It said a container ship northeast of Oman reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat, which opened fire without radio contact, causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge. All crew were safe and no fire or environmental impact was reported.
In a separate incident west of Iran, an outbound cargo ship reported being fired upon and had stopped in the water. Its crew were safe and there was no reported damage, UKMTO said.
The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency said three vessels — Euphoria, MSC Francesca and Epaminodes — were targeted.
Trump said on Tuesday he would extend a fragile ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, even as plans for new talks stalled.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that previously handled about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows.
