Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Apr 23: In a sharp escalation of maritime tensions, Iran reportedly launched an attack on vessels navigating the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, including a ship bound for India’s Mundra Port, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an open-ended ceasefire.
According to Iranian state media, the naval wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC-N) claimed responsibility for targeting and seizing two ships identified as MSC Francesca and Epaminodas. Shipping data platforms indicated that the Liberia-flagged Epaminodas was en route from Dubai’s Jebel Ali port to Mundra in Gujarat, with arrival expected within days. Ownership records link the vessel to a Greece-based firm, Kalmar Maritime LLC.
This development follows a similar incident just days earlier, when Iranian forces targeted two Indian vessels passing through the same corridor despite having clearance. India responded with a strong diplomatic protest over the earlier attacks.
Iranian authorities justified their actions by alleging that the vessels were operating without proper authorization. However, maritime monitoring agencies, including a British naval tracking center, reported that IRGC gunboats opened fire on two ships—damaging one severely and disabling another—without confirming any seizure.
The incident comes amid a complex geopolitical backdrop. While President Trump recently extended a ceasefire indefinitely, he maintained that U.S. naval restrictions on Iranian ports would remain in place. Iran’s actions are being viewed partly as retaliation for the reported U.S. interception of an Iranian vessel earlier in April, an operation Trump claimed involved U.S. forces boarding a ship allegedly carrying sensitive cargo—a claim denied by China.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil and gas supplies pass, remains a critical pressure point. Iran has long sought to assert control over this chokepoint, leveraging its strategic importance in ongoing tensions.
Internal divisions within Iran’s leadership have also added to the uncertainty. While Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had recently declared the strait open for navigation, subsequent military actions by the IRGC suggested otherwise, highlighting conflicting signals from Tehran.
British maritime authorities reported that one of the targeted ships suffered major structural damage after being fired upon without prior warning, though all crew members were confirmed safe. The second vessel escaped without reported damage.
Iran further alleged that MSC Francesca had links to Israel, though publicly available information indicates that the Mediterranean Shipping Company is owned by a Greek family. Imagery released by Iranian media showed the vessel registered under the Panamanian flag.
The situation underscores rising instability in one of the world’s most critical maritime routes, with implications for global trade and regional security.