Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Seizes 3 Ships in Strategic Hormuz Strait: What You Need to Know

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on April 22 (local time) that it seized three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. 

The action follows the collapse of talks on a second U.S.-Iran ceasefire. After President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire deadline until negotiations resume, Iran’s military has tightened what amounts to an armed blockade of the Strait. 

The IRGC Navy said it detained two container ships, the MSC Francesca and the Depaminodas, in Iranian waters, alleging the vessels attempted to transit the Strait without Iranian permission. 

The Guard also claimed the MSC Francesca had links to Israel and accused both ships of repeatedly violating regulations and manipulating their Automatic Identification System (AIS).

Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr news agency reported the container ship Euphoria was also detained by the IRGC while trying to pass through the Strait. 

The IRGC navy said it will maintain continuous surveillance and policing of the strategic waterway to prevent actions that hinder Iran’s declared law enforcement or threaten safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Associated Press reported the IRGC fired on the three vessels before taking them into custody. 

Earlier, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that at about 7:55 a.m. that day a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz came under attack by an IRGC fast-attack boat. 

The vessel told UKMTO it had not communicated with the fast-attack boat prior to the strike, while Iranian state-run Nour News said the ship ignored military warnings, prompting the IRGC to open fire.