Iran seizes containerships in Strait of Hormuz

Source: UKMTO

As the status of any possible negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remains unclear, the already tense situation in the Strait of Hormuz is getting more so —with UKMTO noting three incidents occurring. Meantime the U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports that led to last week’s seizure of the Iranian-flag vessel Touska.

Windward AI reports that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC seized two containerships and possibly a third on April 22:

• MSC Francesca (IMO 9401116) – Panama, MSC-owned – seized.
• Epaminondas (IMO 9153862) – Liberia, Greek-owned – seized.
• Euphoria (IMO 9235828) – MSC-owned – stopped south of Hormuz, possibly interdicted.

Iran’s Tasmin News Agency reports the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy as saying in a statement that, as part of its control of the Strait of Hormuz, it had identified and stopped two vessels on Wednesday morning.

“The vessels were identified as the MSC-Francesca, reportedly linked to the Zionist regime, and the Epaminodes, both of which were operating without authorization, repeatedly violating regulations, and manipulating navigation aid systems in a way that endangered maritime safety,” says the Tasmin report.

Windward’s identification of the second ship as the Epimanondas appears to be the correct spelling of its name.

Windward says that the seizures mark “a serious shift from indiscriminate missile and drone attacks to direct boarding and seizure — the IRGC’s tit-for-tat playbook last seen with MSC Aries in April 2024.

“Since February 28, Windward has tracked 27 vessels hit or fired upon by Iranian missiles or drones. Commercial traffic through Hormuz had already thinned to intra-Iran trades. These seizures will likely freeze transit attempts until freedom of navigation is restored, and even then, only Iran’s allies are likely to risk it.”

More from Windward HERE

IMO SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENTS

In the wake of today’s attacks, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez issued the following statement:

“The attacks on and seizures of commercial ships are unacceptable.

“I once again call for these reckless actions to cease and for any ships and innocent seafarers to be released immediately.

“The situation in the region remains extremely volatile. I cannot understand why companies would take risks and endanger seafarers’ lives.

“Today I spoke to a seafarer who was stranded in the Persian Gulf.

“He described the constant stress of missiles overhead, the danger of falling debris striking the ship, the need to ration supplies, and the difficulty of keeping his family informed about his situation.

“This seafarer was thankfully able to leave, but nearly 20,000 others remain, after more than seven weeks, still uncertain when they will be able to return home. There is much more work to be done.

“De-escalation, meaningful actions and restoring the freedom of navigation is the only way forward.”