An Iranian gunboat fired upon a container ship off the coast of Oman on Wednesday (Apr 22), causing heavy damage to the bridge but no casualties, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident occurred 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, with all crew members reported safe. The vessel, sailing under a Liberian flag, was identified as the Epaminondas, operated by MSC and owned by Technomar Shipping out of Greece. UKMTO stated that the ship had been informed it had permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iranian news agency Tasnim claimed the ship had ignored warnings from Iran's armed forces.
In a separate incident, a cargo ship eight nautical miles west of Iran was also fired upon and stopped in the water. The vessel, identified as the Panama-flagged Euphoria, was transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz from Jebel Ali port in the UAE to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. UKMTO reported no damage to this ship, and all crew members were safe. The agency issued a warning about high levels of activity in the Strait of Hormuz, urging vessels to report suspicious activity.
The incidents occurred hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which had initially taken effect on Apr 8. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been heavily restricted by Iran since the start of the war with Israel and the U.S., while the U.S. military enforces a blockade of Iranian ports.