New Delhi, Apr 22: Three commercial cargo vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to maritime agencies and Iranian media, in an escalation of hostilities in the strategic waterway, the BBC reported. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said an IRGC “gun boat” opened fire on a Greek-owned container ship, Epaminondas, about 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing damage to its bridge.
In a second incident, the Panama-flagged Euphoria, owned by a UAE-based company, was targeted around eight nautical miles west of Iran. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard and the UKMTO said the vessel was halted after the attack, but its crew remained safe and no damage was reported.
A third vessel, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, was attacked about six nautical miles off the Iranian coast while exiting the Strait into the Gulf of Oman, according to Vanguard and BBC.
Iranian media, including the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency, claimed that MSC Francesca and Epaminondas were “seized” and directed towards the Iranian coast for allegedly operating without proper permits and tampering with navigation systems. It also reported that Euphoria had been targeted and grounded off the Iranian coast.
The attacks come despite an extended ceasefire announced by Donald Trump, who said the truce would continue while negotiations with Iran progress, even as the United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has rejected talks under the current conditions. Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the continued US “siege” was “no different from bombardment” and should be met with a military response. “The time for Iran to take the initiative has come,” he wrote on X, dismissing the ceasefire as a tactic to “buy time for a surprise attack”.
The situation has pushed the Strait of Hormuz, already at a standstill, through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes, into what analysts describe as a dangerous limbo, with minimal trust between Washington and Tehran. Shipping traffic has reduced sharply, as a double blockade from Iran and US forces has turned back multiple commercial vessels.
The United States has intensified economic pressure alongside the blockade. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington aims to choke Iran’s oil revenues, warning that storage facilities could soon reach capacity and exports could be curtailed. Additional sanctions targeting networks linked to Iran’s military supply chains have also been announced.
The crisis has rattled global energy markets, with oil prices hovering near $100 per barrel amid fears of disruption. Pro-government rallies across Iran have meanwhile showcased ballistic missiles and hardened rhetoric, reflecting a domestic environment in which the leadership appears under pressure and increasingly confrontational.
With both sides unwilling to back down, the standoff risks further hardening. Analysts warn that the longer the confrontation continues, the greater the chance of a wider conflict in the Gulf, potentially drawing in regional states and severely impacting the global economy, including fuel and commodity prices in countries including South Asia.
