India-Bound Ship Among Two Vessels Seized by Iran in Hormuz
Iran again tightens hold over the Strait of Hormuz; says the waterway will not fully reopen unless the US lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports which they consider an act of war
April 23, 2026 - An India-bound ship Epaminondas was among two vessels seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionalary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the early hours of Wednesday (April 22) while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. A third ship was also hit or disabled, highlighting growing maritime insecurity.
The three ships have been identified as Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Euphoria which was headed to Jeddah. Epaminondas came under attack from a gunboat belonging to the IRGC, 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. The MSC Francesca was also seized. The seized ships were escorted to the Iranian coast.
Iran claims the ships, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Co., violated maritime rules and lacked transit permits. The crew reported that no prior warning was given.
While others see the act as retaliation against US pressure and naval blockade of Iranian ports, US President Donald Trump, said the White House, does not consider the incident as a violation of ceasefire or a deal-breaker because the seized ships did not belong to the US or Israel and were international vessels. The media was cautioned against “blowing this out of proportion”.
Meanwhile, Iran has again tightened its hold over the waterway which handles around 20% of global oil. The country says the Strait will not fully reopen unless the US lifts its blockade which they consider an act of war. Tehran also clarified that they had not agreed to an extension of the ceasefire and that it would make sense only if the US blockade was lifted.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s response to Trump’s ceasefire extension was: "You did not achieve your goals through military aggression and you will not achieve them by bullying either.... The only way is recognising the Iranian people's rights."
With Media Inputs
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