Iran Seizes Two Container Ships in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian officials reported that two container ships were seized in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and moved to Iranian shores after the U.S. extended a ceasefire. The incidents followed multiple maritime security alerts and disrupted traffic through the waterway.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued the first alert reporting a vessel came under fire about 8 nautical miles off Iran at 08:38 UTC, noting the crew was safe, all personnel were accounted for and the ship showed no damage. A separate alert said an attack occurred roughly 15 miles northeast of Oman at 05:47 a.m. London time, when a Revolutionary Guard gunboat approached a container ship and opened fire, causing heavy damage to the ship’s bridge.

Iranian state accounts identified the two seized vessels as the MSC-FRANCESCA and the EPAMINODES and reported both were transferred to Iranian shores. Iranian officials accused the ships of operating without authorization, repeatedly breaking maritime regulations and tampering with navigational aids in ways that endangered safety. Iranian sources also reported a third vessel had been struck by military forces.

Maritime authorities warned of high levels of activity in the Strait of Hormuz. The channel, used for a large share of global oil shipments, remained closed at the time of the reports. Oil prices rose on the news: Brent crude for June gained about 0.5% to $99.03 a barrel after briefly crossing $100, while West Texas Intermediate for June rose about 0.5% to $90.13.

U.S. officials had extended a ceasefire before the seizures, a fact Iranian statements cited when explaining their actions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi wrote on the social platform X that “Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation.” He discussed regional security, and the legal and economic fallout from recent military actions in a phone call with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, warned of limits to market resilience, saying inventories cannot absorb supply shocks indefinitely and that the duration of the disruption is a central concern for policymakers.

Maritime agencies and shipping companies were monitoring the area and advising vessels to exercise caution. Initial reports conflicted on the extent of physical damage: the first advisory indicated no damage to the referenced vessel, while a later notice described heavy damage to a ship’s bridge in the incident off Oman.

Authorities have not provided full details about the condition of crews taken from the seized vessels beyond statements that personnel were accounted for. International responses were still forming as governments and shipping operators assessed the immediate security and commercial implications.