Ships Seized and Fired Upon in Strait of Hormuz Amid U.S. Blockade and Iran-U.S. Tensions

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two container ships and fired on a third vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The seized ships, identified as the Epaminondas and the MSC Francesca, were taken closer to Bandar Abbas, Iran, according to ship tracking data. The third ship, the Euphoria, came under fire.

The attacks followed an announcement on Tuesday of an indefinite extension to the ceasefire with Iran until Tehran agrees to negotiate a new deal. Iranian state media reported that the military was taking the seized ships back to Iran. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Wednesday, far below pre-war levels of more than 100 vessels daily.

Ships linked to Iran have continued to pass through, based on ship tracking data. U.S. military has struck some 13,000 targets in Iran and maintains a naval blockade.

Officials stated that the detained ships are not American. Iran has also rejected claims of halting women executions.

After leading a delegation to Islamabad on April 11 for negotiations that failed to yield a deal. Iran ramped up attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire extension, with the country refusing to commit to peace talks.

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial traffic on Friday. Billboards and banners stating 'control of the strait of hormuz will be iran’s forever' appear across Iran.

U.S. imposed the blockade on April 12 after Iran imposed a toll on transiting ships. Hostilities nearly resumed after an April 8 wave of Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon. Officials announced that Israel and Lebanon reached a ten-day ceasefire agreement on April 16.

IMO Secretary General condemned threats and attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a March 19 address, stating, 'Let it be the responsibility of each and every one of us to demonstrate that inaction is not an option, that words alone are not sufficient.

In normal times, about a fifth of the world’s oil supply and a significant share of its natural gas pass through the strait. Europe is spending an extra $587 million daily on energy since the war began, according to reports.

U.S. instead of Gulf countries reliant on the strait. Bitcoin price surpassed $78,000 after the ceasefire extension. American row crop farmers are entering their fourth straight planting season in the red, hoping the ceasefire holds to resume fertilizer and diesel flows through the strait.

An Arizona representative stated she fully condemns the hateful rhetoric, lies, cruel and deliberate misinformation, and threats subjected to her family, staff, and herself since the Iran war began. Separately, a snooker player, aged 36, who relocated to Dubai several years ago, spent a month in Thailand after the war began due to Iranian bombs falling on the United Arab Emirates.

The player has returned to his base in the UAE and won his first-round match 10-5 against an opponent at the World Snooker Championship. He stated he has no intention of moving back to Britain, adding, 'I won't be coming back to the UK. ' The player plans to fly straight back to Dubai after the championship rather than visiting family in a UK city.

His brother joined him in Dubai in January after visa issues, which prevented the player from practicing until then. Despite the upheaval, the player stated he has managed to practice for the championship.