IRGC seizes two container ships in Hormuz Strait, citing retaliation against US actions

TEHRAN, April 26 (YPA) – The naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted and seized the container vessels MSC Francesca and Epaminendas while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Tasnim News Agency’s statement on Telegram, the vessels—allegedly linked to an Israeli entity—were operating under foreign flags and without transparent declaration during their passage through the strait.

The statement framed the operation as a retaliatory measure against U.S. actions involving the detention of Iranian oil tankers, stressing that the Strait of Hormuz can no longer be treated as a zone where such measures occur without immediate repercussions.

In a related context, it noted that the United States and Israel initiated a 40-day military campaign against Iran on February 28, which—according to the Iranian account—resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, mosques, and other critical facilities.

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