The leader of the International Maritime Organization has voiced alarm over the worsening security conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, following an incident where Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on three container vessels and detained two of them within a single day. In response, the United States seized three tankers in operations conducted far away in South Asia, according to Reuters.

Read also: Iran Seizes Two Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Escalating Maritime Standoff with US

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez strongly criticized the escalating crisis, labeling the attacks and detentions of commercial ships as unacceptable and urging an immediate stop to what he termed reckless conduct that endangers innocent lives. He repeated his call for these dangerous actions to end and for any vessels and innocent crew members to be freed without delay. Dominguez mentioned that he had directly communicated with a seafarer stranded in the Persian Gulf, who recounted the relentless anxiety from missiles flying overhead, the threat of falling debris striking the vessel, the necessity of conserving supplies, and the challenge of updating relatives. Although that seafarer eventually managed to depart, Dominguez cautioned that roughly 20,000 others are still in the area after more than seven weeks, unsure of when they will be able to go home.

Dominguez emphasized that reducing tensions, taking concrete steps, and reinstating the freedom of navigation represent the sole path ahead. His remarks emerged as new information surfaced about Wednesday’s dramatic occurrences in the strait. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aimed at three container ships, shooting at them and capturing two. The initial vessel struck was the 6,673 TEU Epaminondas, hit by an IRGC gunboat approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman. Maritime intelligence firm Ambrey observed that the ship was not broadcasting AIS data at that moment, a detail that might have played a role in the encounter. The vessel suffered considerable damage to its bridge, but no injuries among the crew were recorded.

A second ship, the Panama-flagged 2,478 TEU Euphoria, was targeted west of Iranian waters but seemed to avoid severe harm, with the crew remaining safe. Later that day, the 11,668 TEU MSC Francesca was stopped as it left the strait and entered the Gulf of Oman, enduring damage to its hull and accommodation before being brought under Iranian control and instructed to anchor. Iranian officials claimed the ships had violated rules, asserting they were operating without valid permits and interfering with navigation systems. The IRGC characterized any disruption to safety in the strait as a red line.

The assaults occurred just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an extension of his ceasefire with Iran, an arrangement that had ostensibly been linked to maintaining the waterway’s openness. Peter Sand, lead analyst at freight intelligence platform Xeneta, stated that the situation represents a deliberate economic weapon being used by both parties in the conflict. Sand remarked that while the prolonged ceasefire might be viewed as a favorable development, it has not resulted in secure and unrestricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as the weaponization of commerce, with both sides aware of the harm they can cause through a bottleneck in the strait.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform