Iran Fires on Three Ships, Seizes Two in Strait of Hormuz Hours After Trump Extends Ceasefire

DUBAI — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026, and seized two of them, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Iranian state media.

The attacks occurred hours after President Donald Trump announced an indefinite extension of the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire while maintaining the American naval blockade of Iranian ports.

UKMTO reported the first incident involved a Liberia-flagged container ship northeast of Oman. An IRGC gunboat approached without radio warning and opened fire with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, causing heavy damage to the ship’s bridge. Crew members were unharmed.

A second container vessel was fired upon about eight nautical miles west of Iran. Iranian media reported the IRGC seized two ships — the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas — and transferred them to Iranian coastal waters. A third vessel, identified as the Euphoria, was also hit and left stranded near the Iranian coast.

The IRGC stated the vessels were “violating” the strait without proper authorization and had tampered with navigation systems. It described the actions as enforcement of maritime order, declaring that “disrupting order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is considered a red line.”

The U.S. has not issued an immediate statement on the latest incidents. The Trump administration has kept the naval blockade in place, which has already cost Iran hundreds of millions in daily oil revenue. Trump previously said the blockade would remain until a comprehensive nuclear deal is reached.

The ceasefire extension followed stalled talks in Pakistan and repeated Iranian restrictions on shipping. No injuries to crew members were reported in Wednesday’s attacks.

For global energy markets facing ongoing fuel price volatility, the latest escalation underscores the persistent instability in the critical waterway that handles roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil trade.