Iran's navy seized two cargo ships and fired on a third in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday morning
By Bernie,
Iran's navy seized two cargo ships and fired on a third in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday morning, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Tehran. Nour News, a site affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on the Greek-owned Epaminondas after the vessel "ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces," boarding it after significant damage was caused to its bridge. A second ship, the Panama-flagged Euphoria, was stopped after being fired upon, followed by the targeting of the MSC Francesca about six nautical miles off the Iranian coast, according to BBC Verify.
IRGC Naval Command said on social media that the Epaminondas and MSC Francesca had "endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems," adding that "disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line." The two seized vessels have been escorted to the Iranian coast, where their cargo and documents will be examined. Four other ships in the same MSC convoy crossed the strait with their transponders switched off, according to maritime data cited by BBC Verify.
Satellite imagery analyzed by open-source researchers showed more than two dozen small Iranian boats racing toward the Iranian coastline on Wednesday, consistent with the use of IRGC gunboats, likely Boghammar-class patrol craft, in the interceptions. Iran's lead negotiator has not commented on Trump's ceasefire extension. Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran's parliament speaker, called the move "certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike" and said the continued U.S. naval blockade was "no different from bombardment" and must be "met with a military response."
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Diplomacy
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