Iran says it has seized two ships in Strait of Hormuz after vessels attacked

BBC:

Iran’s navy said it has seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz and taken them to the country’s coast after reports that three vessels came under fire from Iranian forces.

Nour News, a website affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opened fire on the first ship, the Epaminodes, after it had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces”.

A second ship, named Euphoria, was then stopped after being “fired upon”, followed by the targeting of a third vessel, the MSC-Francesca, according to BBC Verify.

IRGC-affiliated outlet Fars News Agency said the Revolutionary Guard was behind the attacks.

IRGC Naval Command posted on social media that the two seized ships – the Epaminodes and MSC-Francesca – had “endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems”.

“Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the statement read.

The two seized vessels will have their cargo and documents examined, it added in an announcement reported by Iranian state television and warned that the navy is “monitoring” movements through the strait and vowed “firm” action against the “violators”.

The statement does not mention the ship Euphoria.

The captured vessels appear to have been part of a larger convoy belonging to the world’s biggest shipping company, MSC, which had been in the Persian Gulf since before the conflict began.

Four other vessels in the convoy have since crossed the strait, according to maritime data from Linerlytica. They appear to have turned off their transponders, which share a ship’s location, during the passage.

The interceptions come hours after US President Donald Trump extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran until talks between the two nations come to a conclusion.

The initial truce between the US and Iran was due to expire on Wednesday, but Trump said he had been asked to hold off on attacking Iran by Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator.

Trump, who said a US blockade of Iran’s ports would continue, also said the Islamic republic was “collapsing financially” due to the blockade of Hormuz.

Although Iran’s lead negotiator is yet to comment on Trump’s truce extension, Mahdi Mohammadi – an adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker – said the move by the US president is “certainly a ploy to buy time for a surprise strike”.

In a post in Persian on X, Mohammadi said the continuation of Trump’s “siege” is “no different from bombardment” and must be “met with a military response”. He added: “The time for Iran to take the initiative has come.”

BBC Verify understands that the first ship targeted by the IRGC on Wednesday morning is called the Epaminondas.

The vessel is owned by a Greek company and, according to AIS data from Marine Traffic, was not transmitting a detectable signal while crossing the strait.

Reports from both UKMTO and Vanguard indicate that the ship’s master had been told the vessel had permission to transit the strait.

However, it was approached by an IRGC gunboat, which opened fire and caused significant damage to the bridge.

BBC Verify also understands the second cargo ship targeted in the strait is the Panama-flagged Euphoria. It is owned by a UAE-based company and data shows that Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is listed as its destination.