Dubai (AFP) – Iranian forces targeted three container ships on Wednesday, seizing two and firing on a third, global security monitors and the country’s Revolutionary Guards said. This latest incident threatens a crucial trade route in the Middle East war.
British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that an Iranian gunboat fired at a container ship off the coast of Oman on Wednesday, while a second ship off Iran was also fired upon. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) stated separately that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to Iranian waters. They accused these vessels of breaching their blockade of the route, which was imposed following the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
“The master of a container ship reported that the vessel was approached by one IRGC gunboat that then fired upon the vessel, causing heavy damage to the bridge. No fires or environmental impact have been reported,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. They added that the incident took place 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman and that all crew members were safe. According to British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech, the vessel was sailing under a Liberian flag and had been informed it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that the ship had “ignored warnings from Iran’s armed forces.”
The IRGC disclosed that its naval force “identified and stopped two violating ships” in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, they indicated that the vessels were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast. The IRGC named the two seized ships as the MSC-Francesca and the Epaminondas, according to Iranian broadcaster IRIB on Telegram. They alleged that the Francesca was linked to Israel while the Epaminondas lacked “the necessary permits” and had been “tampering with navigation systems.” Ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic showed the two vessels—both container ships—stopped near the Iranian coast on Wednesday.
In a separate incident, a cargo ship eight nautical miles west of Iran was fired upon and subsequently stopped in the water, UKMTO reported. “A master of an outbound cargo ship reports having been fired upon and is now stopped in the water. Crew are safe and accounted for. There is no reported damage to the vessel,” UKMTO stated. Vanguard identified it as the Panama-flagged containership Euphoria, which was “transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz.” MarineTraffic later confirmed that the Euphoria had left the strait and was headed to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been heavily restricted by Iran since the start of the war with Israel and the United States, while the US military is enforcing a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the truce between the two countries would be extended after it first took effect on April 8.
© 2024 AFP
