Iran detains two foreign ships after gunfire attacks near Strait of Hormuz

A cargo vessel sailing near Iran's coastline faced gunfire, according to a report from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO). The agency stated that officials received news of the incident 11 nautical miles, or roughly 20.4 kilometers, west of Sirik, Iran. The ship's captain, moving northward, confirmed that several small boats launched the attack.

Available details confirm that the crew remained unharmed and no environmental damage occurred. On April 22, Reuters, quoting the UKMTO, disclosed that at least three container ships suffered fire attacks within the Strait of Hormuz. Following these assaults, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted two vessels: the MSC Francesca, registered in Panama, and the Epaminondas, registered in Liberia. Reuters identified this as the first instance of Iran detaining foreign ships since the start of the conflict involving the United States and Israel. Authorities escorted both ships to the shores of the Islamic Republic.

Earlier, a political scientist dismissed the United States Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a joke.