(SeaPRwire) – The two container vessels seized by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz have been directed toward the port of Bandar Abbas along the vital waterway, a report stated Thursday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard asserted on Wednesday that the ships, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without valid authorization and had tampered with navigation systems, claims that have not been independently verified.
“Approximately 20 heavily armed Iranians stormed the vessel. The sailors are under Iranian control, their movements on board are restricted, yet the Iranians are treating them kindly,” a relative of a captive on one of the ships told Reuters on Thursday regarding one of the seizures.
The news agency cited sources indicating that both ships, which are managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), were steered toward Bandar Abbas, carrying a total of 40 crew members.
“The ship is anchored nine nautical miles from the Iranian coast. Discussions between MSC and Iran are in progress, and our sailors are safe,” Filip Radulovic, Montenegro’s minister of maritime affairs, stated in a quote to state television.
Prior to their seizure on Wednesday, the ships reported being fired upon near the strait, highlighting the increasingly unstable conditions in one of the world’s most crucial shipping routes.
This situation follows U.S. forces recently detaining an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it approached Iranian waters on Sunday.
That vessel, the Touska, remains in U.S. custody as American forces continue to inspect what maritime security sources described to Reuters as likely “dual-use” cargo—materials suitable for both civilian and military applications—after a voyage from Asia.
The U.S. military is also continuing to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports on Thursday.
To date, U.S. Central Command stated on Thursday that U.S. forces have redirected 33 vessels since the commencement of the blockade against Iran.
Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
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