The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said Wednesday it had seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions continued to escalate in the strategic waterway.
The ships were identified as the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Greek-owned Epaminondas, both container vessels.
🚨 BREAKING
First video of Iran Navy forces seizing vessels violating regulations and linked to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/Cya8tajjPy— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 22, 2026
The IRGC Navy command said the vessels were seized and “escorted to Iran’s coast” after they had “endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems.”
“Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the command added.
The British military monitoring group, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, reported that at least two vessels came under fire in the area. In the first recorded incident, it said a container ship was struck near Oman. The notice said the incident caused “heavy damage to the bridge.”
UKMTO Daily summary 21 Apr-22 Apr 26
Click here to view UKMTO Products⤵️https://t.co/KxMvA6JJjj#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/5EDuLkNuuB
— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) April 22, 2026
A second advisory said “an outbound cargo ship” west of Iran reported “having been fired upon and is now stopped in the water.” It added there were no injuries reported in either incident.
Iranian media said a third vessel was also targeted in the same series of incidents, but no seizure was reported.
The reports come amid rising tensions in the strait due to naval blockades imposed by both the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. seized Iranian cargo vessel Touska in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, and on Tuesday it boarded an Iran-linked tanker in the Indian Ocean.
The interceptions came hours after the U.S. President Donald Trump extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran, pending the outcome of talks between the two sides.
“Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“I have therefore directed our military to continue the blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he added.
Iran has not yet agreed to the ceasefire extension.
“Iran has not yet announced an official position on Trump’s claim about extending the ceasefire. “Rumors about Iran’s formal agreement are not accurate, and no statement has been issued by Iranian officials,” Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said on Wednesday.
🚨 IRIB EXCLUSIVE
“Iran has NOT yet announced an official position on Trump’s claim about extending the ceasefire. Rumors about Iran’s formal agreement are #not_accurate, and no statement has been issued by Iranian officials.”— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) April 22, 2026
