Iranian Forces Escort Seized Ships to Port in Tense Strait of Hormuz Standoff

According to a report on Thursday, two container ships seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz have been directed toward the port of Bandar Abbas, a key location along this strategic waterway.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that the vessels, named MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, were allegedly operating without proper authorization and had interfered with their navigation systems. However, these claims have not been independently confirmed.

In a statement to Reuters, a relative of one of the crew members said, “Around 20 heavily armed Iranians boarded the ship. The sailors are under the control of the Iranians, their movements on the ship are restricted, yet they are being treated well.”

Sources informed the news outlet that both ships, managed by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), were directed to Bandar Abbas with a total of 40 crew members aboard.

The MSC Francesca, which sails under a Panamanian flag, was last seen docked in Long Beach, California, on April 16, 2025. (Photo by Efrain Morales/Reuters)

“The ship is anchored nine nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing, our sailors are fine,” Filip Radulovic, Montenegro’s minister of maritime affairs, was quoted by Reuters as telling state television there. 

Before their seizure on Wednesday, the ships reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. 

The situation is unfolding after U.S. forces recently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it was approaching Iranian waters Sunday.

Soldiers take part in the operation seizing container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state TV on April 22, 2026. (IRIB/Handout/Reuters)

That vessel, the Touska, remains in U.S. custody as American forces continue inspecting what maritime security sources told Reuters is likely “dual-use” cargo — materials that can serve both civilian and military purposes — following a voyage from Asia. 

The U.S. military is also continuing to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports on Thursday.

The Epaminondas container ship is seen in Naples, Italy, on March 12, 2025. (Giovanni Costigliola/Reuters)

So far, U.S. forces have redirected 33 vessels since the start of the blockade against Iran, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.