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🇮🇷 Iranian forces seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media, just hours after President Donald Trump initially calmed fears of renewed violence by extending his ceasefire with Iran indefinitely.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it seized the MSC-Francesca and the Epaminondas and moved them to the Iranian coastline, according to a statement published on state media.
“Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the IRGC Navy said. It accused the ships of operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems.
The ships seized by Iran reported coming under attack earlier Wednesday, one said an IRGC gunboat fired on it and “caused heavy damage to the bridge,” about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
The second reported an attack eight nautical miles off Iran’s coast, but did not identify the attackers. Both incidents were reported by the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), a monitoring agency that is part of the British Royal Navy, without identifying the ships.
The Iranian seizures represent a serious escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, where a battle for control of the vital waterway had emerged as a major stumbling block in negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Trump announced the ceasefire extension Tuesday night in a social media post just as the deal was due to expire, to allow Iran’s “seriously fractured” leadership time to “come up with a unified proposal” to end the war.
The move was announced with no new concession by Tehran — a sign that the president is eager for a way out of what has become an increasingly costly and unpopular war.
