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Iran’s naval forces fired on and seized three container ships near the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday and directed them to Iranian ports, as the Islamic republic looks to reassert control over the strategic waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy said it seized the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and Epaminodes, for trying to traverse the strait “without the necessary permits.”
“It appears that this container ship did not heed warnings from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and was therefore targeted,” state-affiliated news outlet Tasnim reported Wednesday.
In response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports launched last week, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz for all Western-linked cargo ships.
Since the start of the blockade, the U.S. Navy has seized two Iranian-linked tankers over the past week, one near the Strait of Hormuz and another in the Indo-Pacific region. Iran has categorized these incidents as war crimes and piracy.
One of the vessels was reportedly fired upon by an IRGC gunboat off the coast of Oman without receiving a radio warning, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations. There were no casualties, but the ship sustained serious damage.
The second ship was fired on by guard forces in the same area, just east of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations reported no casualties or damage to the ship.
The third vessel, a Greek-owned ship named Euphoria, is now “stranded” on Iran’s coast, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. It’s unclear if the ship suffered any casualties or damage in its interactions with Iranian authorities.
Greece’s foreign minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, said he was informed that there was an attack on the Euphoria but could not confirm if it was seized by the IRGC.
Wednesday’s incidents underscore the mounting tension over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that carries 20% of the world’s oil trade each year. Iran has kept it closed for more than a month and has asserted that it will retain control over the waterway even after the war ends.
Iran’s threats against Western-linked commercial vessels have brought traffic in Hormuz to a near standstill. Maritime security officials have reported that the strait remains a high-risk area, despite the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.
President Trump on Tuesday extended what was intended to be a two-week ceasefire for an undetermined period to give Iran time to respond to U.S. demands. The president added that the U.S. naval blockade would remain in place until a deal with Iran is finalized.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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