NEW DELHI, Apr 22: An India-bound ship was among two vessels seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, amid looming uncertainty about the US-Iran ceasefire and proposed peace talks.
In total, three container ships, including the one which was headed to India, were attacked by Iran’s security forces in the Strait. All three containers crossed the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf, and two of them did not relay information about their location, destination and port of origin while crossing the waterway, ship-tracking data suggests.
Iran’s state media and the BBC identified the three container ships as Liberia-flagged Epaminondas, and Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Euphoria.
Epaminondas declared India as its destination. Epaminondas was the first vessel to come under gunfire on Wednesday. As per the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, a “gunboat” belonging to Iran’s elite paramilitary force, the IRGC, opened fire on the container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing heavy damage to the vessel’s bridge.
The second ship to have been attacked was Euphoria, BBC reported, quoting British maritime intelligence firm Vanguard. It set sail from the UAE’s Sharjah Port on Tuesday and listed its destination as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. As per the UKMTO, the vessel came under attack eight nautical miles west of Iran at 06:38 UTC (12:08 PM IST). The ship’s master brought the ship to a halt. The crew are said to be safe, and no damage is reported to the vessel, as per the UKMTO.
MSC Francesca was the third ship to have been attacked by the IRGC Navy on Wednesday. Its destination was not known.
In a statement, the IRGC Navy said Epaminondas and MSC Francesca were seized and were being escorted to the Iranian coast. It accused the vessels of endangering “maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems.” “Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” it added.
The attacks came hours after US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire until peace talks ended with Iran. However, there is no clarity about whether the second round of talks are taking place in Islamabad. Iran has yet to decide whether it will send a delegation and reports say Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Pakistan has been put on hold.
Mr Trump told the media that “good news” regarding a second round of peace talks with Iran may come as soon as Friday. The US media citing sources in Islamabad, reported on Wednesday that peace talks could resume within the next “36 to 72” hours. Although Trump never claimed talks would take place on Friday, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News pushed back anyway, denying any decision to negotiate and accusing Trump of lying. “Trump lied again. Iran currently has no decision to negotiate on Friday”, it said in a post on X.
The Republican leader’s comments came after he extended the US ceasefire with Iran to allow more time for peace talks, as Tehran’s deadline to end the pause came and went without incident. This is the first time the US has not put a deadline on Tehran’s next move, and Trump has credited his counsel with the Pakistani leadership for the change in strategy.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote on social media.
“I have…directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their (Iran’s) proposal is submitted,” he added. Trump had previously indicated he would not extend the ceasefire and had warned of a resumption of bombing when it expired.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for extending the ceasefire. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also welcomed it. In the last three days, US forces have seized one Iranian vessel from the Gulf of Oman while intercepted two others from the Indian Ocean Region as they enforce a blockade against Iranian ships and ports.
(Rohit Kumar)
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