Tehran [Iran], April 22 (ANI): Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday claimed its naval forces seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging the ships violated Iranian territorial waters and attempted to exit the strategic waterway without Tehran’s authorisation.
The announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump said he was extending a temporary ceasefire indefinitely. Iranian state media IRIB identified the vessels as MSC-FRANCESCA and EPAMINODES, accusing them of repeated infractions including tampering with navigational aid systems and endangering maritime security.
The IRGC said the ships were detected through intelligence monitoring, intercepted, escorted into Iranian territorial waters and transferred for inspection of cargo and documentation. “In line with the intelligent control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy this morning identified two violating ships named ‘MSC-FRANCESCA’… and the violating vessel ‘EPAMINODES’, which were attempting to secretly exit the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation by committing repeated violations and tampering with navigational aid systems and jeopardising maritime security,” the IRIB-quoted statement said. The IRGC added it would continuously monitor the strait and deal “decisively and legally” with violators of Iran’s maritime rules.
The seizures coincide with reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) of two ship attacks earlier the same day, underscoring rising security risks in the region. UKMTO said an outbound cargo vessel was fired upon about eight nautical miles off Iran’s coast, forcing the ship to stop; the crew were reported safe and no damage was observed. In a separate incident, a container ship northeast of Oman was approached by an armed boat linked to the IRGC; the ship’s master reportedly opened fire and the vessel’s bridge sustained significant damage. All crew were confirmed safe, with no casualties or environmental damage reported.
The incidents come amid tense diplomacy. Trump said the ceasefire extension followed a Pakistani request and aimed to allow Iran’s “fractured” leadership to submit a unified peace proposal. Meanwhile, the US has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, which Tehran officials have characterised as “no different from bombardment,” a stance Iranian officials say has prompted the current military response in the Strait. (ANI)
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