New Delhi/Tehran: A Gujarat-bound cargo vessel is among two ships fired upon and seized by the Iran’s Islamic Republican Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday.
According to Iranian state media, the
two ships, attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz were seized for “manipulating navigation systems and endangering safety in the Strait of Hormuz”, and are being taken to Iran.
“Two violating ships, “MSC-FRANCESCA” (linked to the Zionist regime) and “EPAMINODES,” which endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems, were seized by the IRGC Navy and directed to the coast of Iran,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the statement added.
According to the Marine Traffic website, EPAMINONDES – a container ship sailing under the flag of Liberia – was headed to Gujarat from Jebel Ali in Dubai.
Earlier in the day, at least three container ships were attacked by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Confirming the first attack, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said an IRGC gunboat fired on a container ship about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
While no injuries were reported, there were damages to the ship’s bridge, UKMTO said.
The second incident involved the Panama-flagged Euphoria, owned by a UAE-based firm, which was reportedly attacked around eight nautical miles west of Iran. UKMTO stated that the crew remained unharmed and the ship did not suffer any damage.
The Panama-flagged MSC Francesca was also targeted roughly six nautical miles off Iran’s coast while sailing south from the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman. According to maritime intelligence firm Vanguard, the ship reported damage to its hull and accommodation areas.
These attacks and detention of vessels by Iran has raised a new dimension to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
They came after US president Donald Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely, adding that the truce will continue until Iran submits a “unified proposal” to end the conflict permanently.
