Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that its naval forces intercepted and seized two commercial vessels attempting to transit the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
According to an official statement, the ships were halted during the morning hours and forcibly diverted to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic. Iranian authorities defended the move as a necessary measure to uphold maritime regulations in the volatile waterway.
The IRGC identified the seized vessels as the MSC-FRANCESCA and the EPAMINONDAS. Officials claimed the MSC-FRANCESCA is linked to the “Zionist regime”, a term frequently used by Tehran to refer to Israel. Regarding the EPAMINONDAS, the Guards alleged the crew was “tampering with navigation systems” and engaging in activities that jeopardized the overall security of maritime traffic in the region.
This latest escalation underscores Tehran’s assertive stance over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint responsible for roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports. The Guards issued a stern warning following the seizures, stating they would not tolerate any actions that contravene Iranian regulations or threaten “safe passage.” Tehran continues to maintain that all vessels must seek explicit permission to enter or exit the Gulf, a requirement that remains a point of intense international contention.
