Iran's IRGC Seizes Cargo Ships in Strait of Hormuz Following Trump's Ceasefire Extension

Kathmandu. Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire deadline, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked three cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, seizing two of them. According to the British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Iranian media, the IRGC targeted vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian Navy seized cargo ships named MSC Francesca and Apameonidas, diverting them toward the Iranian coast. The Fars News Agency reported that a third ship, Euphoria, was also targeted and is currently near the Iranian coast. The Iranian Navy claims to have seized these vessels, alleging they were operating without necessary permits and had tampered with their navigation systems.

According to reports from BBC Verify and UKMTO, the Greek-flagged Apameonidas was 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman when IRGC-affiliated gunmen on boats opened fire without radio warning, causing significant damage to the ship's control center. Iranian media stated that action was taken because the ship ignored military warnings.

Similarly, the Panama-flagged Euphoria, operated by a UAE company, was attacked about eight nautical miles west of Iran. The ship's captain reportedly stopped the vessel, and the crew members are safe.

The third ship, MSC Francesca, also flew the Panamanian flag. While exiting the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman, about six nautical miles from the Iranian coast, the IRGC stopped it and ordered it to drop anchor.

Earlier on Tuesday night, President Trump announced that the US would continue its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and extend the ceasefire indefinitely. The US took this step to increase pressure on Iran ahead of planned peace talks in Pakistan.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had seized a stateless tanker named M/T Tiffany in the Indo-Pacific region. The US claimed this was done to stop an illegal network supporting Iran, while Iran strongly protested, calling it armed robbery and a violation of the ceasefire. Iran is demanding the immediate release of the cargo ship.

The situation escalated further after the US fired on the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Tuska in the Gulf of Oman. Consequently, the second round of peace talks scheduled in Islamabad is now in uncertainty.

Although the Iranian delegation was prepared to sit at the negotiating table, they changed their plans following the US actions, and no one traveled to Islamabad. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance did not depart for Pakistan on Tuesday as scheduled. While the White House intended to pressure Iran into negotiations through blockades and attacks, it has backfired, prompting the Iranian military to launch retaliatory actions.

Iran has not yet issued an official response to Trump's statement. However, Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that Trump's ceasefire extension is meaningless and merely a tactic to buy time for a surprise attack.

Writing on the social media platform X, he noted that the losing side cannot set conditions and that continuing a siege is no different from bombing. Accusing Trump of extending the ceasefire only to prepare for an attack, he warned that it is now time for Iran to take the initiative through military action.