Two cargo vessels traveling in the Strait of Hormuz were fired upon by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats on Wednesday. One of the ships was damaged in the attacks, but there were no reported injuries or fatalities from the gunfire in either confrontation. Both incidents occurred hours after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would extend its ceasefire agreement with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday.
Iran said they have taken custody of the ships and were bringing them to Iranian ports, though that is unverified. They also claimed to have fired on a third ship, called the Euphoria, but that also has not been verified.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center revealed the two attacks on its tracking website.
$1.5 TRILLION NATIONAL DEFENSE BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE IRAN WAR COSTS
In the first incident, the IRGC reportedly fired on a container ship “without warning” that is owned by Technomar Shipping out of Greece. It was “identified as the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and operated by MSC.” It happened shortly before 7 a.m. Greek time in the strait, 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
“The Master of a Container Ship reported that the vessel was approached by 1 IRGC gunboat, no VHF challenge that then fired upon the vessel which has caused heavy damage to the bridge,” read the UKMTO report. “No fires or environmental impact reported. All Crew reported safe.”
In the second incident, a cargo ship called the MSC Francesca was fired on by the IRGC while traveling the Strait of Hormuz, at approximately eight nautical miles west of Iran, according to the UKMTO report.
“A master of an outbound cargo ship reports having been fired upon and is now stopped in the water,” noted the UKMTO. “Crew are safe and accounted for. There is no reported damage to the vessel.”
Additionally, the UKMTO issued a warning for ships traveling the Strait of Hormuz, stating it is “aware of high levels of activity in the Strait of Hormuz area and encourages vessels to report any suspicious activity.”
Iran said both ships “endangered maritime security by operating without the required authorization and by tampering with navigation systems,” according to the IRGC Navy Command.
“Disrupting order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the statement continued.
Trump agreed to extend the ceasefire after consulting with Pakistani officials, who urged him to do so. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude for Trump offering the extension to “allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.”
TRUMP EXTENDS CEASEFIRE AND POINTS TO ‘FRACTURED’ IRAN LEADERSHIP AS NEGOTIATIONS FALTER
“I sincerely thank President Trump for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course,” Sharif said in a post on X.
“With the trust and confidence reposed in, Pakistan shall continue its earnest efforts for negotiated settlement of conflict,” he added.
“I sincerely hope that both sides will continue to observe the ceasefire and be able to conclude a comprehensive ‘Peace Deal’ during the second round of talks scheduled at Islamabad for a permanent end to the conflict,” he said.
Iran has yet to publicly recognize or acknowledge the ceasefire extension, according to the Associated Press.
