Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attacked and captured two cargo ships on Wednesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump prolonged a brief ceasefire. One of the vessels was en route to Gujarat in India. This event is expected to heighten strains between Iran and India, following attacks on two Indian-flagged ships in the same vital oil passage last week.
The seized ships, registered under Panama and Liberia flags, are now held by Iranian forces and have been moved to an Iranian port, according to state media reports. A third Greek-owned ship was also assaulted and remains adrift near Iran’s coastline.
Tracking data indicates the Liberia-flagged vessel was traveling from Dubai to Mundra Port in Gujarat. Iranian officials claimed the ships lacked proper permissions and had tampered with their navigation equipment, posing risks to sea traffic.
The United Kingdom’s maritime monitoring agency reported that three commercial ships faced gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz, an area dominated by Iran amid ongoing conflict. Iran’s control over this route has disrupted global oil flows and driven up fuel costs.
One ship sustained damage to its control area from bullets and explosives, but no crew members were harmed, per news sources.
This action appears to be retaliation for recent U.S. military seizures of two Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman as part of an enforcement operation.
The American naval restrictions on Iranian port access remain a key dispute, with Iran demanding their removal before negotiations. Trump has stated the measures will persist to cut off Iran’s oil income and weaken its finances.
The incident follows attacks last week on two Indian ships, despite Iran’s pledges to spare vessels from certain allied countries. One was carrying bulk goods from Saudi Arabia to India, while the other transported oil from Iraq. About 10 Indian ships passed through the area in April.
The earlier events sparked debate over internal power dynamics in Iran, with indications that the Guards may be overriding civilian authorities.
India responded by calling in the Iranian ambassador to express serious worries about the attacks.
