two container ships Detained by Iran A report on Thursday said troops in the Strait of Hormuz have been brought to Bandar Abbas port along the key waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed on Wednesday that the ships, the MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, operated without proper authorization and tampered with their navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently confirmed.
A relative of a prisoner on one of the ships said: “About 20 heavily armed Iranians attacked the ship. The sailors were controlled by the Iranians and their activities on the ship were restricted, but the Iranians treated them well.” told Reuters Thursday in connection with one of the seizures.
The news outlet quoted sources as saying that both ships, managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), were sent to Bandar Abbas Port with a total of 40 crew members on board.
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On April 16, 2025, the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca ship docked in Long Beach, California.
(Reuters)
Reuters quoted Montenegro Maritime Minister Filip Radulovic as saying: “The ship is anchored nine nautical miles off the coast of Iran. Negotiations between MSC and Iran are ongoing and our sailors are fine.”
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Before being seized on Wednesday, the ships reported being attacked near the strait, underscoring the growing instability in one of the world’s most important waterways.
The situation unfolded after U.S. forces recently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that approached Iranian waters on Sunday.
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According to an Iranian state television report on April 22, 2026, soldiers participated in the operation to seize the container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz.
That ship, the Tusca, Still detained by the United States, U.S. forces continue to inspect maritime shipments from Asia that security sources told Reuters may be “dual-use” cargo – material that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
The U.S. military also continued to impose a blockade on Iranian ports on Thursday.
On March 12, 2025, the Epaminondas container ship appeared in Naples, Italy.
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U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the U.S. military has so far rerouted 33 ships since imposing a blockade on Iran.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Original source of the article: Ship seized by Iranians ‘armed to the teeth’ in Strait of Hormuz brought to port: report