Strait of Hormuz update: Renewed aggression with multiple incidents in the same day

April 23 ------ Two commercial vessels were fired upon in separate incidents on the same day, in waters near Iran and Oman, with Iran claiming to have seized the vessels. Meanwhile, there are reports of a third incident.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, in a warning issued on 22 April, detailed a serious incident occurring approximately 8 nautical miles west of Iran. The master of an outbound cargo vessel reported coming under fire, forcing the ship to halt. Despite the attack, all crew members were accounted for and safe, and no damage to the vessel was reported. Authorities noted heightened levels of activity in the Strait of Hormuz and urged vessels to remain vigilant and report any unusual encounters.

In a separate incident the same day, a container ship operating 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman was approached by an armed vessel identified as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboat. The approaching craft did not issue any radio communication before opening fire. The attack caused significant damage to the ship’s bridge, though no fires or environmental hazards were reported. All crew members were confirmed safe.

In addition, a third cargo ship has been attacked while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, maritime intelligence firm Vanguard has told BBC Verify.

In the midst of all this, Donald Trump announced on 21 April that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran, which had been set to expire on the evening of 22 April. The ceasefire was originally put in place earlier in April with a two-week deadline, but this new extension does not include a specific end date, giving Iran more time to present a “unified proposal” to end the conflict.

Where the vessels seized?

According to BBC, Iranian media, including Iran’s state television Telegram channel, has published a statement attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy saying that two vessels, MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, were taken into Iranian territorial waters for what it described as an “inspection of their cargo, documents, and records.”

However, Hellenic Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy has clarified that, contrary to the Iranian announcements, the containership Epaminondas has not been detained. The IRGC Navy claims the ships were operating without authorization, had committed “repeated violations,” and attempted to exit the Strait of Hormuz “in secret,” while also alleging interference with navigation systems. However BBC noted that these claims cannot be independently verified.

The statement also warns that the IRGC Navy is closely monitoring traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and has vowed “firm” action against what it calls violators. Notably, there was no mention in the statement of a third vessel, Euphoria, which media reported had also been targeted.

The Seafarers’ Charity has issued a statement in response to attacks on the ships Francesca, Epaminondas and Euphoria, saying that this latest escalation is an abhorrent attack on innocent seafarers. Not long ago, just one merchant ship being attacked would be an outrage – now we have seen three attacked within a few hours of each other. "The Strait of Hormuz is clearly not safe for civilian seafarers to transit, and the mental health toll on crews stranded in a conflict zone will continue to rise. We urgently call for all countries involved in the conflict to make the Strait safe for the innocent seafaring workforce trapped there, and not use them as political capital. Meanwhile, we urge crews not to run the gauntlet in the Strait or take risks in the face of such aggression," said the Charity in its statement.

Source: safety4sea.com