Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has attacked a third vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news agencies reported on Wednesday, in an apparent escalation of maritime tensions.
Semi-official outlets including Nour News, Fars and Mehr said the Guard targeted a ship identified as Euphoria, which they claimed later became “stranded” along the Iranian coast. No further details were immediately provided.
In a separate report, Iranian state television said two other vessels attacked earlier in the day—MSC Francesca and Epaminodes—are now in the custody of the Revolutionary Guard and are being taken to Iran.
According to a statement from the Guard, the ships were accused of operating without authorization, violating maritime regulations, manipulating navigation systems and attempting to leave the Strait covertly, thereby “endangering maritime security.”
The seizures mark a significant escalation following earlier US actions against Iranian vessels, as fragile ceasefire talks are underway.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, had traditionally been considered an international waterway open to all vessels, despite lying between Iranian and Omani territorial waters.