Ship seizures by Iran don’t breach truce – White House (VIDEO) 

Iran’s seizure of two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz was not a ceasefire violation because they were not US or Israeli-owned, the White House has said, after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released footage of the operation.

The video, published on Wednesday, shows IRGC personnel intercepting and boarding two MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company container ships – the Epaminondas, a mid-sized vessel, and the larger MSC Francesca. A third vessel, identified as the Euphoria and bound for Jeddah, was also struck and disabled in the operation.

The seizures were reported between April 22 and April 23 in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint for global trade and a central flashpoint in the confrontation between Tehran and Washington since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.

The IRGC footage shows armed personnel boarding from fast boats and taking control of the vessels. The IRGC Navy said the ships were targeted over alleged “maritime violations” and escorted to Iranian waters, according to media reports.

Technomar, the management company of the Liberian-registered and India-bound Epaminondas, confirmed the vessel was “approached and fired upon by a manned gunboat” off the coast of Oman, adding that its bridge sustained “extremely wide damage.” The company said the ship’s 21 Ukrainian and Filipino crew members were safe.

A second cargo ship, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, came under fire hours later and was forced to stop, though no damage or injuries were reported. Panama condemned what it called the “illegal seizure,” calling it a serious threat to maritime security.

While the incident is widely seen as retaliation for US pressure and a naval blockade of Iranian ports, Washington said the seizures did not breach the ceasefire.

“These were not US or Israeli ships, these were two international vessels,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News, adding that the naval blockade that the US has imposed “continues to be incredibly effective.”

The US had earlier seized two Iranian vessels ahead of ceasefire talks scheduled to take place in Pakistan.

The standoff between the US and Iran has effectively choked off most traffic through the strait – a route that carries about 20% of the world’s traded energy – with no clear end in sight.

The conflict has already driven up global energy and food costs, with Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel, roughly 35% higher than pre-conflict levels, adding to inflationary pressures worldwide.

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