Topline
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has seized two ships it attacked earlier in the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s state-affiliated media said on Wednesday, while claiming a third ship was also attacked, as Tehran argued that the U.S. blockade of its ports amounted to a violation of the ceasefire, which President Donald Trump extended indefinitely on Tuesday.
Ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz has remained as a standstill as tensions have ratcheted up.
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Key Facts
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center, a gunboat operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz early on Wednesday.
The attack took place just northeast of Oman’s coast along the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian gunboat made no radio contact before opening fire at the ship, the British naval agency said.
The attack caused significant damage to the vessel’s bridge, but all crew members are reported safe.
In a separate alert issued a few hours later, the UKMTO said an outbound cargo ship reported being fired upon around 8 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, near the strait.
The update did not mention who carried out the attack and noted that there are no reports of damage and all crew members are safe.
The UKMTO has not published any details about the third attack claimed by Iranian state media.
Have Iranian Authorities Commented On The Attacks?
Citing Iranian state television, the Associated Press reported that the IRGC has claimed responsibility for two of the attacks and both vessels have been taken into Iranian custody. The state media outlet identified the vessels as the Panama flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberian flagged Epaminodes—which is owned by a Greek company according to the BBC. In a statement IRGC told the state media outlet that the ships were operating without authorization, had “repeatedly violated regulations, manipulated navigational aid systems and sought to covertly exit the Strait of Hormuz.” The state aligned outlet Nour News had previously claimed one of the ships had “ignored the warnings of the Iranian armed forces.” Multiple outlets including the semi-official Fars and Mehr news agencies reported that a third ship, the Panama flagged Euphoria was also targeted by the paramilitary group and was now stranded near the Iranian coast.
Key Background
On Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely extending the U.S.’s ceasefire with Iran as the second round of peace talks remain in limbo. Trump, however, noted that the U.S naval blockade of Iran’s ports will remain in effect during the ceasefire. Iranian officials have dismissed this arrangement with the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeting: “Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire.” Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, echoed a similar stance, telling reporters in New York that the U.S. blockade violates the ceasefire and that any talks between the two sides can resume only after the blockade is lifted.
Tangent
Global crude oil prices inched up once again towards $100 per barrel as tensions continued to rise near the Strait of Hormuz. As of early Wednesday morning, the global benchmark Brent Crude futures stood at $99.30 per barrel, wiping out last week’s decline after Iran briefly announced the Strait as being open.
Further Reading
Trump Claims His Blockade Is Costing Iran $500 Million A Day And It Wants Hormuz To Reopen (Forbes)