Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly seized two containerships linked to MSC after a series of armed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22.
According to multiple maritime security reports, three container vessels came under fire within hours while transiting the strait. The first incident occurred about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, where a containership was approached by an IRGC gunboat and fired upon without prior VHF contact. The vessel sustained heavy damage to its bridge but reported no casualties or pollution.
AIS data later indicated that the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca altered course toward the Iranian coast. The 11,000+ TEU vessel is believed to have been intercepted and subsequently taken under Iranian control.
A second attack involved the Liberian-flagged Epaminondas, a Greek-owned containership operating under charter to MSC. The vessel was reportedly fired upon roughly eight nautical miles off Iran’s coast and later stopped. Iranian authorities claim it was also seized and escorted into territorial waters.
A third vessel, the smaller Panama-flagged Euphoria, was also targeted during the same wave of incidents. While it reportedly came under fire, it was not detained and later completed its transit toward the UAE.
Iranian officials stated that the vessels had violated navigation rules and were operating without proper authorization. The IRGC described disruption to “order and security” in the strait as a red line and reiterated its position that the waterway remains under its control.
The incidents followed earlier warnings of retaliation after U.S. naval forces disabled an Iranian containership and boarded a tanker linked to Iranian trade as part of an ongoing maritime blockade. Tehran has repeatedly condemned the blockade, calling it an act of war, and has tied any reopening of the strait to its removal.
