Iran Seizes Two Ships In Hormuz Chokepoint As Tehran Received ‘Some Signs’ U.S. Ready To End Blockade

The semi-official news agency Fars reports on X that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the MSC Francesca and a Greek-owned ship named Euphoria, which had been attempting to transit the Hormuz chokepoint earlier today. In total, three ships were targeted this morning by IRGC naval forces, and two were seized.

“The IRGC Navy seized two violating vessels and transferred them to Iran’s coast. IRGC Navy Command: Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” Fars said, adding that both vessels had been “immobilized.”

نیروی دریایی سپاه دو کشتی متخلف را توقیف و به ساحل ایران منتقل کرد

فرماندهی نیروی دریایی سپاه: اخلال در نظم و ایمنی تنگه هرمز خط قرمز ماست pic.twitter.com/LyhPFqGMwV

— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) April 22, 2026

Earlier, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that the two vessels had come under heavy fire in the narrow waterway.

Current snapshot of the waterway via Bloomberg ship-tracking data of tankers:

All three maritime incidents in the Strait come as President Trump has kept the U.S. blockade of Iran in Hormuz in place, and U.S. naval forces seized an Iranian ship over the weekend before boarding another tanker linked to Iran.

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• Tehran Timeline: Iran Has 15 Days Until Its Oil Industry Begins Full Shut-Ins

Overnight, Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran so negotiators “can come up with a unified proposal,” but said the naval blockade will continue, while Tehran says it is an “act of war.”

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim cited the country’s envoy to the UN, Amir-Saeid Iravani, as telling reporters: “We have received some sign that they are ready to break it and as soon as they break this blockade, I think that the next round of the negotiations will take place in Islamabad.”

Iravani added, “If they want to sit at the table and discuss and find a political solution, they will find us ready. If they want to go to war, in this case also Iran is ready.”

The status of the next round of US-Iran talks remains unclear. Vice President JD Vance has not departed for Pakistan as expected on Tuesday.