The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy announced on Wednesday the detention of two ships that attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
According to shipping data from Marine Traffic, one of the vessels, a library-flagged container ship called EPAMINONDAS, was en route to Gujarat state in India.
Agence France-Presse quoted the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as saying in a statement, “This morning, the naval force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard identified two violating ships and stopped them in the Strait of Hormuz. The naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard detained the two violating ships and directed them to the Iranian coast.”
The second vessel was identified as a Panama-flagged container ship called MSC-FRANCESCA, and was bound for Hambantota in Sri Lanka.
Why did Iran detained a container ship heading to India?
The naval command of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard explained the reason The two ships were seized near the Strait of Hormuz, including the ship bound for India. According to the statement carried by Press TV, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said that the two ships “endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and manipulating navigation systems.”
The IRGC statement said: “The two violating ships “MSC-FRANCESCA” (linked to the Zionist entity) and “EPAMINODES”, which endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and manipulating navigation systems, were seized by the IRGC Navy and directed to the coast of Iran.”
“Disruption of order and security in The statement added that the Strait of Hormuz is our red line.
The IRGC Navy also stressed that it maintains “smart control” over the strait, and reiterated that any actions deemed to violate Iranian maritime regulations or disrupt safe passage through the waterway will be closely monitored.
The statement added: “The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy confirms that any action to disrupt the implementation of the traffic rules announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as any activity that conflicts with the safe passage of this strategic waterway, will be constantly monitored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy, and violators will be dealt with decisively and legally.”
Details about the detained ship that was heading to India
According to the MarineTraffic website, the ship heading to India is EPAMINONDAS. It is a container ship sailing under the flag of Liberia and was heading to Mudra port in Gujarat from Jebel Ali in United Arab Emirates (UAE) Dubai.
The overall length (LOA) of the vessel is 299.9 metres. The ship is 42.8 meters wide, according to Marinetraffic data.
These maritime incidents come at a critical diplomatic juncture. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump used social media to announce an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran for two weeks, citing a request from mediator Pakistan and the need for Iran’s “divided” leadership to present a unified peace proposal.
However, the United States maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, a move Tehran officials described as “no different from bombing,” leading to the current military response in the strait.
