Iran says it's seized two ships in Strait in wake of Trump announcement of ceasefire extension

LAST UPDATE | 50 mins ago

IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS said today that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.

“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”

There have also been reports that a third ship was attacked by Iranian forces in the Strait this morning. 

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The Revolutionary Guard identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”

Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave or enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.

Talks ‘possible’ soon

Iran has yet to respond to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an extension of the ceasefire. He said the US blockade of Iran’s ports would continue despite the ceasefire.

Both sides have accused the other of ceasefire breaches.

However, Trump said a second round of US-Iran talks could take place within the next three days, the New York Post reports.

“It’s possible!” Trump reportedly told the Post by text message, when asked about sources in Pakistan – which mediated the first round of talks – saying that a second round was “expected in Islamabad within the next 36 to 72 hours.”

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Trump insisted in a Truth Social  post that keeping a US blockade of the strait, a critical waterway for about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas exports, is vital for forging a deal with Iran.

“People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!,” Trump said in the post.

In an earlier social media post, Trump indicated that he had no desire to extend the ceasefire and had warned of a resumption of bombing when it expired.

“I have… directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their (Iran’s) proposal is submitted,” Trump wrote on social media.