Captain’s Desperate Plea to Iran Amidst Gunfire: “Allow Me to Return

A tense scene unfolded as a ship captain found himself desperately appealing to the Iranian navy to cease their gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a nerve-wracking audio clip, the captain can be heard frantically stating, “You granted me passage,” following Iran’s initial announcement that the strategic waterway was once again accessible.

The incident involved two Indian vessels coming under fire, with Iran later announcing it had reinstated “strict control” over the Strait due to a US blockade.

During the radio exchange, the captain of the Sanmar Herald oil tanker directed his message to the ‘Sepah navy,’ the term for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.

In a voice laced with urgency, he reiterated, “This is Motor Vessel Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance! My name is second on your list.”

‘You gave me clearance to go! You a firing now. Let me turn back!’

Marine tracking data shows the Sanmar got part of the way through the Strait before sharply doubling back on itself.

A separate video appears to show a ship captain being told to turn around by the Iranian navy because he has ‘no permission’.

The Sanmar Herald, an Indian-flagged oil tanker, sharply doubled back on itself in the Strait of Hormuz after coming under fire

A separate video clip appears to show the Iranian navy ordering a ship to turn around

Ships and tankers anchored outside the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran threatens to attack any that attempt a crossing

A voice says: ‘There is no permission for you to cross the Strait. You are ordered to go back to you departure immediately,’ before the captain agrees to return.

Iranian state media confirmed the regime fired close to two Indian ships to force them to turn back.

It is understood that both the tankers and their crews were unharmed, but the Indian government has raised its ‘deep concerns’ over the episode.

The ships were attempting the crossing after Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday the regime had agreed to fully reopen the Strait.

But their position made an abrupt U-turn on Saturday, when the IRCG warned that any ship that attempts to cross will be attacked. They blamed the reversion on the ongoing US blockade of the Strait.

The IRCG put out a statement that read: ‘Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered co-operation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted.’

It said that ‘no vessel is to move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman’. 

Trump said on Friday that a naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal was agreed between the two countries. 

Iran considers this a breach of the two-week ceasefire currently in place, which is due to expire on April 22.

Meanwhile, negotiations between Washington and Tehran to bring an end to the war are ongoing.

Iran’s top negotiator said the most recent talks with the US had made progress but gaps remained over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump cited ‘very good conversations’ with Tehran, but also warned that America would not be ‘blackmailed’ over the shipping channel. 

Peace talks held earlier this month, for which Vice-President JD Vance travelled to Pakistan, ended without an agreement, but there are hopes of a second round.

Iran’s earlier announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold. 

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.

Reports have emerged that the US military is preparing to board Iran-linked vessels in the coming days – a move that would expand the naval conflict that has so far been largely confined to the Strait.

General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the escalation on Thursday, according to US officials who spoke with. 

Caine said the US ‘will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran’.

‘This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements,’ he added.